What if you enter a completely empty kitchen one day, with no food in sight and the refrigerator bare? Curious and concerned, you turn on the television to hear alarming news: bees and other pollinators have vanished, and there is a global food crisis. This may sound extreme, but it is a possible reality with the rising temperature, pollution, climate change, habitat depletion, diseases, genetically modified crops and pesticide abuse.
Figure 1: Role of pollinator in ecosystem | Credit: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
The above figure illustrates how pollinators, particularly bees, play crucial roles in the ecosystem, sustaining biodiversity and how they balance the food chain. Among the many pollinators, bees stand out as primary contributors to agricultural productivity and the economy. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that of 100+ crop species supplying 90% of food in 146 countries, 71 crop species rely on bee pollination, primarily wild bees and the remaining are pollinated by other insects.
There are approximately 25000–35000 species of bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) around the world that serve as primary pollinators and along with moths, flies, wasps, beetles, and butterflies, they constitute the majority of pollinating species. It is an inescapable fact that pollinators are essential to the health of the planet, and the preservation of biodiversity, with direct impacts on food security and even social peace.
Figure 2: Impact of Pollinator Loss | Credit: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Area
While it is impossible to overstate the importance of these miniscule but mighty creatures, nearly 35 % of invertebrate pollinators, especially bees and butterflies, and 17% of vertebrate pollinators, including bats, non-flying mammals and birds, are under threat worldwide. This outcome is mostly due to increased human activity, resulting in climate change, habitat fragmentation and land-use change. Rising temperature and pollution cause flowers to bloom early or later, confusing pollinators, who may not be able to adjust their life cycles accordingly. This means pollinators like bees are left without food, which leads to a new disorder scientists are calling Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), where adult bees disappear from the hives, almost all at the same time. Additionally, urbanisation, deforestation, and agriculture changes such as monocropping, GMO farming, and the use of pesticides have also added to the imbalance in the environment for pollinators.
The decline in pollinator numbers is a global issue, and India is no exception. Approximately 70% of India’s tropical crop species depend on pollination, which relies on wild honey bees, including Apis cerana Fabricius, Apis dorsata Fabricius, and Apis florea Fabricius, along with various non-Apis pollinators. Half of India’s population depends on the agricultural economy, and farmers are already witnessing reduced yields in pollinator-dependent crops. Although initiatives like the National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) aim to promote scientific beekeeping and enhance pollination services, unified efforts are still required to preserve the bees. Western countries realised the crises at the beginning of the century, and extensive research was done on pollination and pollinators. India, however, lags behind in data collection and contributes only about 5% of the global pollination research. We need further steps and policies that promote sustainable farming that in turn protect pollinators, alongside active contributions to research, public awareness and education.
This global crisis isn’t just about statistics; it's something we’ve all felt personally. A nostalgic look into the past, and I remember my childhood in the early 2000s, with the busy hum of bees and the buzzing of butterflies filling the air everywhere with beautiful colours and sounds. These pollinators were a familiar sight, dancing among the flowers in front of the house, and were a welcome sight every day. But today, I very rarely find these. Their disappearance is more than a loss of beauty, it’s a clear warning sign of a deep crisis. But there is hope. Each of us can contribute to reversing the crisis, saving our beautiful planet that feeds us and sustains us.
- You can create pollinator-friendly gardens with native flowers, avoid pesticides, and promote afforestation to provide stable habitats for pollinators.
- You can support organic and sustainable farming, and promote urban beekeeping initiatives to conserve native bee species
- You can be a part of climate action by asking for policies that reduce carbon emissions, and safeguard the natural ecosystem. These are essential for mitigating the impacts of climate change, and to stabilise temperature & rainfall patterns.
Let all living beings live blissfully! - Vallalar. Creating a life where humans and nature can live in peace must begin with each one of us. Understanding that our very lives depend on creatures great and small is a good place to begin.
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