More support needed for pollination services in agriculture

Date:
September 23, 2021
Source:
University of Go"ttingen
Summary:
The global decline of pollinators threatens the reproductive
success of 90 per cent of all wild plants globally and the yield
of 85 per cent of the world's most important crops. Pollinators
-- mainly bees and other insects -- contribute to 35 per cent of
the world's food production. The service provided by pollinators
is particularly important for securing food produced by the more
than two billion small farmers worldwide. An agroecologist points
out that yields could be increased if pollinators were encouraged.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The global decline of pollinators threatens the reproductive success of
90 per cent of all wild plants globally and the yield of 85 per cent of
the world's most important crops. Pollinators -- mainly bees and other
insects - - contribute to 35 per cent of the world's food production. The service provided by pollinators is particularly important for securing
food produced by the more than two billion small farmers worldwide. An agroecologist at the University of Go"ttingen points out that yields
could be increased if pollinators were encouraged. The article was
published in One Earth.


========================================================================== Current estimates put the value of pollination services at around 200 to
400 billion US dollars per year. Smallholder farmers, whose fields are
less than two hectares, represent about 83 per cent of all farmers. They benefit from pollination services much more than farmers with large
fields. If the fields are smaller than two hectares, any shortfall in
yields can be reduced much more efficiently through pollination than
in large fields. Many smallholder farmers live in the Global South
and suffer from hunger or malnutrition. Crops that are dependent
on pollinators, such as fruits and nuts, contain nutrients that are particularly important for health. "Pollination services in agriculture
should be given more attention, in addition to pest regulation and good nutrient supply," claims author Professor Teja Tscharntke, Head of the Agroecology Group at Go"ttingen University. The benefits are not limited
to an increase in how much fruit can be produced: its quality can also
be improved, for instance, in terms of nutrient content or how long
it can be stored. Smallholder agroforestry systems in the tropics are particularly well suited for this and stand out due to their comparatively species-rich pollinator communities.

"More needs to be done to halt the decline of pollinators,
which are mostly bees and other insects. The stress to
pollinators caused by agrochemicals, large monocultures and
the loss of semi-natural habitats should be minimised," says
Tscharntke. "However, considerable research efforts are still needed
to make agricultural landscapes productive and, at the same time,
species-rich - - in particular to improve the situation in the tropics." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Go"ttingen. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Teja Tscharntke. Disrupting plant-pollinator systems endangers food
security. One Earth, 2021; 4 (9): 1217 DOI:
10.1016/j.oneear.2021.08.022 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210923132607.htm

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