A new report from a science-led global campaign to save pollinators, Bee:wild, has identified the top 12 emerging threats that could accelerate pollinator losses within the next 5-15 years. It cites warzones, microplastics, and light pollution among the top risks to pollinators like bees, butterflies and some birds, which are vital for sustainable food supply.

Almost 90% of flowering plants and over three-quarters of the world’s staple crops depend on bees and other pollinators, but are now facing a barrage of pressures which are predicted to get worse in the years ahead.

The report says that war and conflict, such as the war in Ukraine, force countries to grow fewer crop types and leaves pollinators without diverse food throughout the season.

Microplastic particles contaminate beehives across Europe. Recent tests from 315 honey bee colonies reveal synthetic materials like PET plastic in most hives. 

Artificial light at night reduces flower visits by nocturnal pollinators by 62% and inhibits the crucial role that moths and night insects play in pollination.

Antibiotic pollution potentially contaminates bee hives and honey, and affects the behavior of pollinators, such as reducing their foraging and visits to flowers. Air pollution also affects their survival, reproduction, and growth.

Pesticides’ impact on pollinators

Other aspects impacting pollinator losses include “pesticide cocktails” that weaken pollinators who increasingly face a dangerous mix of different pesticides, particularly in developing countries. 

The harm often linked to pesticide use came into sharpened focus earlier this year when Pesticide Action Network (PAN), a coalition of global NGOs campaigning for increased pesticide regulation, criticized the European Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food policy roadmap which, the organization said, failed to deliver on promises to clamp down on imports of crops grown with banned pesticides.

Kristine De Schamphelaere, policy officer at PAN, told Food Ingredients First that the Commission missed an opportunity for ambitious and concrete action to reduce pesticides, given “the overwhelming scientific evidence on their alarming impacts on biodiversity, environment, and health.”

Restoring numbers

The Bee:wild report also highlights how more frequent and larger wildfires are destroying habitats and making recovery of pollinators harder. It outlines how some threats that unintentionally stem from climate actions could be improved to protect biodiversity. Planting a mix of flowering trees as well as non-flowering fast-growing trees for carbon capture would restore pollination opportunities.

The University of Reading’s Professor Simon Potts, lead author of the report and chair of Bee:wild’s Scientific Advisory Board, says: “Identifying new threats and finding ways to protect pollinators early is key to preventing further major declines.”

“By acting early, we can reduce harm and help pollinators continue their important work in nature and food production. Various conservation opportunities already exist, and more are emerging. This is not just a conservation issue. Pollinators are central to our food systems, climate resilience, and economic security. Protecting pollinators means protecting ourselves.”

Dr. Deepa Senapathi, head of department of Sustainable Land Management at the University of Reading, and co-author of the report, says meaningful action to protect bees is not a “nice-to-have” future aspiration, there are already practical solutions that can be implemented now, and more are emerging. 

“The most promising opportunities are ones that tackle multiple problems at once. Focused and determined action could significantly slow and even reverse pollinator decline while creating environments that benefit both nature and people,” she says. 

“It will take effort from everyone to address these threats. We need to maintain, manage, and improve our natural habitats to create safe spaces for pollinators. But policy changes and individual actions must work together so everything from gardens and farms to public spaces and wider landscapes can all become pollinator-friendly habitats.”

Pollinators’ critical role in agri-food

According to the UN, three out of four crops across the globe producing fruits, or seeds for use as human food depend, at least in part, on bees and other pollinators.

Pollinators also serve as indicators of environmental health, providing insights into ecosystems and the climate. Protecting pollinators also enhances biodiversity and critical ecosystem services, such as soil fertility, pest control, and air and water regulation.

Nature-friendly agricultural practices like agroecology, intercropping, agroforestry, and integrated pest management help sustain pollinators, ensuring stable crop yields and reducing food shortages and environmental impacts.

In February, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs acknowledged that long-term monitoring of pollinators is “crucial” to food production and, as a result, the government agency plans to take more robust action to tackle the decline of insects in the UK. 

One method is to expand the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme, which has delivered two large-scale surveys since 2017, to include bees and hoverflies using DNA sequencing. 

Ensuring bee survival 

Pollination is a fundamental process for the survival of the world’s ecosystems. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity.

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face, and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated May 20 as World Bee Day.

The goal is to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators, which would significantly contribute to solving problems related to the global food supply and eliminate hunger in developing countries.

The UN notes that sustainable agri-food systems require adopting a holistic approach that ensures the long-term coexistence of agricultural practices for producing food, fiber, and fuel.