“Anyone who thinks they’re too small to make a difference has never met the honeybee.” – Popular saying, unknown attribution

 

Background

Scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat—everything from almonds and blueberries to tomatoes and cocoa—exists because of pollinators like bees, birds, and bats. As they hop between flowering plants to drink nectar, these insects and small animals collect and carry pollen. The fine and sticky dust holds the genetic material the plants need to reproduce (watch them at work). While pollinators are essential to agriculture and biodiversity, changes in land use and weather patterns are threatening native populations, posing serious threats to food security.  

How Pollination Works

Over 80% of flowering plants have evolved to attract pollinators. Their bright colors, fragrance, and sweet nectar are all an effort to lure animals that can transport genetic material—contained in pollen—from the male reproductive organs of one plant to the female organs of another. Nectaries are typically found at the base of the male organ that produces pollen, known as the stamen. Pollinators come to drink the nutritious, sugary liquid and leave with pollen clinging to their exoskeletons and feathers. When they land on another flower for more nectar, a sticky tip on that plant’s female organ—called the pistil—collects the pollen and uses it to fertilize seeds. Pollinators simultaneously came to favor certain flowers, increasing the odds they’ll carry pollen between identical plant species. And they developed traits to maximize nectar and pollen extraction from these plants. Bumblebees, for example, buzz to free pollen from tomatoes. Meanwhile, hummingbirds, with their long bills, prefer tubular flowers. The minority of flowering plants that don’t depend on pollinators rely on wind to carry lightweight pollen grains through the air (think dandelions).  

Decline of Pollinators

Pollinator populations have significantly declined in recent decades, with about 40% of invertebrate and 16% of vertebrate pollinators at risk of extinction. Habitat loss due to agricultural expansion and urbanization, pesticide use, and climate change have been identified as the leading causes. The ripple effects are expansive, given that 35% of crops depend on pollinators. The small animals add over $200B to the global economy annually and are directly linked to human health. A 3%-5% decrease in pollinator-dependent food production can lead to 427,000 lives lost annually to nutritional deficiencies. Though not native to the US, honeybees are responsible for more than $15B of the nation’s agricultural productivity. Importing, breeding, and trucking them cross-country to commercial farms became popular as wild bee populations dwindled. Then, when the honeybees began mysteriously disappearing in the mid-2000s—a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder—they became the poster child for several initiatives to save pollinators. Many theories exist about the disorder’s origins, from pesticide poisoning to stress, but scientists have yet to reach a widespread consensus. Meanwhile, critics argue honeybees, as part of a lucrative beekeeping industry, have overshadowed the decline of wild pollinators. While honeybees have largely rebounded, many wild bee populations remain alarmingly low, with some North American species down by 96% in the last two decades.  

What’s Being Done

Many campaigns to save pollinators focus on actions individuals can take, from growing native plants in backyard gardens to buying organic foods to disincentivize pesticide use. Solar energy companies have also begun experimenting with planting native plants under solar panels to restore pollinator habitats. Early studies found the practice can also reduce maintenance costs at solar facilities over time by lowering mowing and herbicide expenses, suggesting a new synergy between clean energy goals, biodiversity, and agriculture.