Pollination crisis: myths?

The idea that pollinating pollinators can threaten human food supplies - creating a situation called 'pollination crisis' - can be considered a myth, at least for honey bees, the researchers said in the journal Current Biology May 7.

First of all, most agricultural crops are not dependent on pollinators. In addition, while the number of honey bees may be shrinking in some parts of the world, the number of domesticated bees worldwide is actually rising.

Marcelo Aizen of the Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Argentina, said: 'The decline in the number of honey bees in the United States and other European countries, including the United Kingdom, is caused by parasites and recently the disorder collapses in groups. , it may make us mistakenly think it is a global phenomenon. '

By analyzing data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization for time trends in the number of commercial beehives, they found that domesticated honey has increased by about 45% in 5 decades. past century. This increase is mainly due to high demand for human honey, not because of the need for pollinators.

However, the new information is not completely good: The data show that the demand for insect-pollinated crops has tripled in the last half century, indicating global reserves. still under considerable pressure. These crops include 'luxury' agricultural crops , which are very popular in any of these supermarkets, such as plums, raspberries, cherries, as well as mangoes, guavas, Brazilian nuts, and seeds. thing.

The idea that pollinating pollinators can threaten human food supplies - creating a situation called 'pollination crisis' - can be considered a myth, at least for honey bees.(Photo: iStockphoto / Alexandru Magurean)

Aizen said: 'We were surprised to find that the amount of agricultural products depended on pollinators, including luxury products, which increased at a faster rate after the collapse of the communal bloc. Association, and this increase rate is much higher than the amount of agricultural products regardless of pollinators, including wheat and rice. Although the cause of this phenomenon seems to be economic and political - not biological - rapid expansion can bring future pollination problems to agricultural products in above'.

Increasing demand for agricultural land could also boost the destruction of habitats that currently harbor hundreds or thousands of wild pollinators, and thus reduce crop yields.

Aizen remarked: 'Most importantly, reduced pollinant crop yields will lead to increased market prices, creating encouragement in growing these crops. This situation can produce a reaction that leads to the destruction of pollinators' habitat.

Researchers include Marcelo A. Aizen, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Rio Negro, Argentina; and Lawrence D. Harder, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Refer:
Marcelo A. Aizen and Lawrence D. Harder.The Global Stock of Domestic Honey Honey Bees Is Growing Slower Coal Agricultural Demand for Pollination.Current Biology, 2009;DOI: 10.1016 / j.cub.2009.03.071