The Importance of Bees to World Agriculture
In 2014, the White House released a statement highlighting the importance of pollinator populations to the worldwide economy. Because pollinators play a key role in maintaining ecosystems and facilitating agriculture, organizations and governments are fighting to protect pollinator insects, such as bees. However, just last week, seven types of bees were added to the endangered species list in Hawaii. This article highlights the importance of bees in the economy and the environment worldwide.
The Importance of Bees to World Agriculture
Firstly, pollination is the process through which pollen is transferred from the anther to the stigma of a flower. In other words, the movement of pollen from the male to the female receptors of the plant. Not all flowers require an animal or the wind to help with the pollination process, as some plants can self-pollinate if their stigma is located inside of the plant. However, an estimated 80% of flowering plants depend on external factors (animals or wind) to pollinate. Similarly, bees represent 50% of all tropical plant pollinators.
Regarding worldwide agriculture, it is estimated that 35% of crops are dependent on pollinators. In other words, a third of all human food requires insects for its pollination process. Likewise, 70% of the main crops grown for global human consumption require pollination to increase crop yields and to produce seeds. Around the world, crop pollination by bees is estimated to be worth US$170 billion per year. Just in Europe, bee pollination has an estimated value of US$22 billion per year. Throughout the United States, honeybees alone generate around US$15 billion by providing us with the fruits, nuts, and vegetables that we consume on a daily basis. In addition, crops dependent on native insect pollination, like the bumblebee and the alfalfa leafcutter, account for more than US$9 billion each year.
In the world, there are 25,000 species of bees. Of these, only four are honeybees and 250 are bumblebees. According to the European Red List of Bees there are about 2,000 species in Europe of which 9% are threatened with extinction, mostly due to habitat loss and the use of pesticides. Habitats are being destroyed because of non-sustainable agricultural practices, the increase in use of pesticides and fertilizers, and the introduction of massive crop fields, all of which pose a threat to these insects. For example, as a result of the loss of wildflower fields in the UK, since 1945, two bumblebee species have become extinct.
As reported by the Xerces Society, bees in Hawaii have also been affected. Due to habitat loss, wildfires, and the introduction of non-native plants and insects, seven types of yellow-faced or masked bees were recently added to the US list of endangered and threatened species. These bees are particularly significant because they are native to the area and, therefore, they are the main pollinators of the islands’ native crops. As mentioned by Sarina Jepson, director of endangered species and aquatic programs for the Xerces Society, bees face “feral pigs, invasive ants, loss of native habitat due to invasive plants, and fire as well as development, especially in the coastal areas.” Bees worldwide are facing a variety of challenges to thrive in a world where agriculture is not always sustainable. As cultivators and consumers, individual citizens need to start taking the necessary precautions to prolong the life of these insects. Pollinators are a vital part of the ecosystem and play a key role in our economies.
The Case of the United Kingdom
Populations of bees have been declining over the past decades in the UK because of the use of pesticides called Neonicotinoids. These pesticides were used for the first time in the early 1990s in an effort to avoid using DDT, which was a toxic chemical used in farms. However, Neonicotinoids damaged the brain of bees while contaminating pollen and water streams across the country. Additionally, these pesticides could remain on the soil for years after being used. Because the UK is the process of leaving the European Union and its agricultural regulations, there is a chance that Britain could use Neonicotinoids throughout its fields once again. The possible reintroduction of these pesticides could affect the UK’s agricultural production and trade. In 2015, the UK traded US$23 billion in commodities to over 200 countries. However, if Neonicotinoids are reintroduced, countries with an effective ban of such pesticides could refuse to import commodities from the UK.
(Read more about how Brexit Creates Uncertainty and Opportunity in Agribusiness)