The decline of pollinators threatens U.S. crop yields

The largest and most comprehensive study of its kind highlights the risks to global agriculture posed by the decline in pollinator populations.   Most of the world’s crops depend on honeybees or wild bees for pollination, so the decline in both domesticated and wild bee populations raises concerns about food safety. And the effects of this decline are beginning to be felt. Insect pollination is essential for most agricultural crops and, therefore, for food safety. In the United States, crops that depend on pollinators account for $50 billion in annual revenue. Unfortunately, studies show that European honeybees (Apis mellifera) and certain species of native wild bees are in decline. And many crops are now limited by this shortage of pollinators. Simply put, an increase in the populations of these insects would be enough to boost agricultural production. A new study of 131 farms in the United States and British Columbia, Canada, collected data on the pollination of crop flowers and the yields of apples, blueberries, cherries, almonds, watermelons, and pumpkins. Thus, the production of apples, cherries, and blueberries appears to be limited by pollination. Current yields are lower than they would be with a normal population of pollinators.

The total value of annual production attributed to wild pollinators for just the crops listed above is estimated at more than $1.5 billion in the United States.

Imagine, then, the figure for all crops that depend on pollinators. An insect decline therefore leads to a direct decrease in crop yields. Adopting practices that support, maintain, or increase pollinator insect populations is therefore likely to help preserve agricultural yields.