Tropical crops at risk from pollinator loss due to climate change, shift in land use, finds study

Subject :Environment

Section: Climate change

Context:

Tropical crops like coffee, cocoa, watermelon and mango, face a potential crisis due to the loss of insect pollinators, according to a new study led by researchers from the University College London and the Natural History Museum.
Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about 35 per cent of the world’s food crops depended on animal pollinators to reproduce, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

Study findings:

Combined pressures of climate change and agricultural activities have led to large reductions in insect pollinators.
Altered climate and change in land-use have reduced the number of insects pollinating key tropical crops.
The number of insects that pollinate those plants declined by 61 per cent.
Most affected regions: Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.
- In terms of total production potentially at risk, China, India, Indonesia, Brazil and the Philippines emerged as being most at risk.
Most affected crops: Cocoa (at highest risk), mango, watermelon.
The main factors driving this decline were identified to be destruction of habitat, improper land-use such as grazing, fertilisers and crop monoculture of farming, along with high pesticide use.
Impact: Increased income insecurity for small-scale farmers, reduced production and productivity, threat to biodiversity, region may become prone to Invasive Alien Species (IAS), spread of plant and animal diseases among others.

Source: DownToEarth