Why are Pollinators on a Decline?
Whether or not we are aware of it, hummingbirds, butterflies, wasps, bats, beetles and bees are all at great risk of going extinct in our modern day.
A leading cause of this decline is habitat loss and the loss of floral abundance vital to survival with it (Cardoso and Leather, 2019). Habitat loss is largely at play because of overwhelming human land development, industrialized use of pesticides, and changing climates.
Why would farmers who rely on pollinators and care about the natural world use something so destructive? Well, in order for them to be able to produce the most large, pristine, and sought after fruits and vegetables, chemicals are needed. But this isn't necessary and this isn't natural. So find and embrace those delicious, safe, imperfect plants. A change in consumer mindset could be just as impactful as a change in government regulations.
Why Does it Matter?
Pollinators are vital to the health of all ecosystems and humanity as a whole. Nature has evolved to be extremely interconnected and this vital piece lies at the center of everything. We depend on pollinators alone for 3/4 of the world's flowering plants and more than a third of our food crops.
Ultimately getting fresh produce to the grocery store shelves is a long and labor intensive process. Even though shelves appear stocked with fresh produce, food security is less real than it may appear because of underlying issues invisible to most consumers.
Everything from apples to cocoa beans would cease to exist entirely without pollinators.
According to Johanne Brunet, a research ecologist and professor at UW-Madison,
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