feeding 9 billion

Albert Einstein is often quoted as saying “If the bee disappears from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years to live”. The reference is of course to the production of our food through pollination, but it’s unlikely Einstein ever said this. It is also unlikely that the disappearance of bees would have such an immediately severe effect on human beings; however, bees and other pollinator species make an essential contribution to agriculture, so we should be asking the question – is there a pollinator crisis?

Before we address the question, it’s worthwhile getting a little perspective on pollination and our diet. 70% of the world’s most produced crop species require insect pollination. This ecosystem service contributes ca. €153 billion to the global economy and more-or-less 9% of worldwide agricultural production of human food.

These figures raise an interesting question. How can 70% of crop species account for only 9% of human food production? Certain crops are grown to produce feed for livestock or fibre for industry (and increasingly, biofuels), and meat and fish comprise a significant share of our diet; but this is not enough to explain these quite different numbers. The reality is that the most produced crops (by weight) do not require insect pollination. These crops rely on wind pollination or do not need pollination at all. If we consider food production in the European Union (EU) the top three (pdf) types of crops grown are cereals, sugar beet and potatoes – none of which require insect pollination. Insect pollinators are responsible for supporting the sexual reproduction of a great diversity of crop species, including the majority of fruits and many vegetable species. So, pollinators may not directly support the bulk of our diet, but they do afford us the variety of foodstuffs we need to consume to ensure we receive adequate nutrition.

Much of the conversation about pollinators centres on the importance of the honey bee (Apis mellifera), a species which appears to be experiencing some population decline in Europe. But, to determine a ‘pollinator crisis’ we need to look at the bigger picture, focusing on one species results in confusing messages about the state of pollinator health and the impact of this on our wellbeing and the state of biodiversity.

In fact, there are more than 20,000 species of bee (of which the honey bee is one), and countless species of beetles, butterflies and other insects that play a role in pollination; and, although it is unreasonable to assume that population reduction in one species is indicative of a decline in all species, there is consensus that at the global level we are experiencing a net loss of pollinators. This is an unsurprising trend that falls in line with the broadly recognised global loss of biodiversity; however, it does not suggest that we are approaching a pollinator crisis. There is no indication that pollinator decline is threatening our ability to feed ourselves.

There may not be a pollinator crisis today, but understanding of the drivers of pollinator population change is timely (i.e. efforts to reverse global biodiversity loss) and of significance to the future of pollination. It is very much in the interest of society to ensure the survival of pollinator species, and it is evident that the actions of our own species are often to blame for biodiversity losses.

Agriculture has an intimate relationship with pollinators, and has therefore a significant opportunity to influence the health and wellbeing of pollinator populations. With this in mind, the following publication examines the relationship between agriculture and pollinators and makes practical suggestions for pollinator friendly agricultural practices. For those with particular interest in the honey bee, Apis mellifera is dedicated a significant section of the report.