The top three global causes of pollinator loss are habitat destruction, followed by land management – primarily the grazing, fertilizers and crop monoculture of farming – and then widespread pesticide use, according to [a new] study. The effect of climate change comes in at number four, although data are limited.
The biggest direct risk to humans across all regions is “crop pollination deficit”: falls in quantity and quality of food and biofuel crops. Experts ranked the risk of crop yield “instability” as serious or high across two-thirds of the planet – from Africa to Latin America – where many rely directly on pollinated crops through small-holder farming.
Dr. Tom Breeze, co-author and Ecological Economics Research Fellow at the University of Reading, said: “This study highlights just how much we still don’t know about pollinator decline and the impacts this has on human societies, particularly in parts of the developing world.
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“While we have data on how pollinators are doing in regions like Europe, there are significant knowledge gaps in many others. More research is needed on a global level so we can really understand the problems we face, and how we might address them.”
