There are a lot of unpopular bugs in the world. Blamed for many woes, from spreading disease to damaging crops, insects have taken a lot of flak. However, there is still time to redress the balance. In fact, without insects, many economically important crops would be hit hard.
Insect pollinators are crucial to plant productivity. In fact, nearly 70% of the world’s flowering plants rely on pollinators. In the US alone, more than 100 crops depend on pollinators, including native insects and introduced bees. While insects are the most numerous pollinators, mammals, birds, and other animals also play a role. All pollinators transport pollen from male flower parts to female flower parts, usually as a result of normal feeding and movement.
A new study conducted by French and German researchers has placed an economic value on insect pollination. For 2005, pollinators – primarily bees – were responsible for more than 220 billion dollars worth of food crops. This corresponds to about 10% of global agricultural production.
Also part of the study, published in Ecological Economics, was an estimate of the cost if pollinators disappear – amounting to somewhere between 270 and 450 billion dollars. The estimates were based on a review of crop types and pollinator activity. Three categories would be hardest hit, including fruits, vegetables, and oilseeds. Ironically, the most affected crops are also the highest value, compared to grains or sugar cane. In fact insect-pollinated crops are markedly more valuable.
The problem is that, in recent years, there have been unexplained declines in pollinator populations. Habitat degradation, pesticides, and disease have all been implicated. Without the necessary insects, fruits, vegetables, and “stimulants” (e.g. coffee, tea, cacao) could not be produced at current levels. Areas that typically import these crops would suffer dramatic shortages.
The study looked at the most dramatic scenario – where pollinator populations completely crash. It is more likely that numbers would gradually decline, with the possibility of replacement technology improving over the period. Even in the most extreme case, it is heartening to see that agriculture would survive (at lower levels) the loss of insect pollination. Switching to different crops and finding substitute ingredients would moderate the impact.
One area not considered in the study is the potential knock-on effect due to decreased seed production. Without pollinators, seed production would drop. Therefore, crop planting would be affected, possibly affecting food species and forage. Wild flowers would be similarly affected, with attendant ecosystem changes. It is impossible to foresee the full implications of losing pollinators, and even harder to place a monetary value on the natural world with its complex web of interactions.
