22 Feb New Study Reveals the Impacts of Pollinator Losses on Human Health
New Study Reveals the Impacts of Pollinator Losses on Human Health
Crop losses due to pollinator declines are already causing an estimated 427,000 excess deaths annually
New Study Reveals the Impacts of Pollinator Losses on Human Health
Crop losses due to pollinator declines are already causing an estimated 427,000 excess deaths annually
Crop losses due to pollinator declines are already causing an estimated 427,000 excess deaths annually.
The global population of pollinators is in decline. In the last two decades, many important species of bees, flies, butterflies, and other insects have experienced sharp drops in their numbers, with localized extinctions of certain species documented in parts of North America and Europe. Non-insect pollinators such as bats and birds are also under threat, largely from human activity. These pollinators play a crucial role in their local ecosystems, as well as in the food systems that feed human populations globally.
There has been widespread reporting on the decline in certain pollinators, most notably bees. However, other pollinators have received less public attention, and critically important pollinators such as bats are still being vilified as threats to human health. Protecting these species is important to safeguarding biodiversity, to securing the global food system, and to fostering human health. However, despite well-documented threats to biodiversity stemming from pollinator loss, scientists have struggled to communicate the direct linkages between pollinators and human health outcomes.
A recent study is beginning to change this narrative. Researchers modelling the global health impacts of pollinator loss found that declining crop yields due to insufficient pollination may already be causing an estimated 427,000 excess human deaths annually. The study found that insufficient pollination has caused a 3%-5% loss of fruit, vegetable and nut production, reducing the global supply of healthy and nutrient-dense foods. Based on these documented crop losses, the researchers extrapolated how the shifts in food availability would affect the diets of populations across the globe. They found that the resulting dietary changes were likely already playing a role in declining health outcomes among consumers and worsening the complications from existing diseases, increasing the number of early deaths annually.
People who rely on income from crop production have long been feeling the negative impacts of crop losses due to pollinator decline. This is particularly true in low-income countries, where farmers face outsized economic consequences from declining crop yields. However, the researchers found that the health burden of crop losses and shifting dietary patterns were more pronounced in middle- and high-income countries, where it compounds the complications of heart diseases, diabetes, strokes, cancers, and other health conditions that are commonly attributed to poor diets, smoking, and insufficient exercise. Rich people in these countries can still afford to eat healthy foods even if prices rise, but poor people in wealthy countries disproportionately bear the consequences in terms of diminished health status and early death.
Even though the decline in pollinator populations is taking place at a global scale, there is still much we can do to protect the wild pollinators in our own back yards. This is particularly true if you have a yard of your own! If you have access to any outdoor space, you can take steps to protect bees and other pollinators.
How can you help?
1. Naturalize your lawn. If you have a yard, encouraging groundcover instead of grass will provide a rich habitat for bees and other pollinators.
2. Plant flowers that attract bees. If you have outdoor space, find out what flowers and other vegetation attract local bee species and plant them wherever possible.
3. Don’t clean out your garden in the winter. If you have a garden, let fallen leaves accumulate and keep flower stalks intact. Bees will overwinter in the debris, and your garden can offer them shelter and protection from the elements.
