The Vital Role of Pollinators in Ecosystems and Food Security
Butterflies, moths, bats, bees, hummingbirds, and beetles all share a common purpose: they are pollinators. Their work is silent and unseen, yet it’s essential for food production and the health of ecosystems. Pollination is a critical ecological process that maintains ecosystems and species on Earth, making our planet what it is today. It’s also crucial for societal well-being, as it significantly influences agricultural productivity and food security.
This is Pollinator Week, an annual celebration supporting pollinator health initiated by Pollinator Partnership. It serves as a platform to raise awareness about these species and share ways to protect them. In Mexico, the 3rd Forum for Pollinators was held recently, organized by the National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Conabio), highlighting the importance of efforts from Mexico, home to around 10,000 species including insects, birds, and bats.
According to the FAO, 87.5% of flowering plants rely on animals for pollination, and nearly 35% of the global volume of crop production depends on pollinators. Their loss would inevitably harm the global economy, as they directly or indirectly provide employment to millions of people.
Endangered Species
During the Forum, Dr. Angélica Cervantes Maldonado from Conabio discussed the threats faced by these species. “Unfortunately, since the mid-1990s, various researchers have warned about a decline in pollinators worldwide due to anthropogenic causes.” Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has warned that about 16.5% of vertebrate pollinators (mainly bats) and 40% of bees are threatened with extinction globally.
Mexico is no exception, and among the primary threats to pollinators in Mexico are the intensification of unsustainable agricultural practices, habitat loss, indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, exotic invasive species, and climate change.
“Mexican beekeepers have raised concerns about colony losses due to agrochemical poisoning. We’re talking about an impact between 60% and 100%. Remember, pesticides and fungicides poison bees, while herbicides destroy vegetation and flowers, reducing the quantity and quality of the nectar and pollen bees feed on.”
During Pollinator Week, Environment Secretary Alicia Barcenas announced urgent measures to protect pollinators. She mentioned revising the General Law of Ecological Equilibrium for pollinator protection, creating a Mexican Norm for regulating airborne pesticide dispersal, issuing a decree to ban 35 high-risk pesticides, and implementing various ecosystem restoration and protection projects in pollinator-rich areas.
Projects Favoring Pollinators
Héctor Ávila Villegas, a master’s degree holder in science from Cosmos Semillas Nativas, shared his experience with the Milpa system. The goal is to bring back species and diversity alongside a drip irrigation system for flowers, squash, green beans, sunflowers, and more. From his perspective, a Milpa for Pollinators is a model combining wildflower cultivation with a traditional Milpa (corn, beans, squash, chili) grown simultaneously and in the same space. This approach creates pollinator habitats while producing delicious, locally-grown products.
Dr. Cisteil Xinum Hernandez, a postdoctoral researcher at SECIHTI in the Biology Faculty of UMSNH, emphasized beetles as crucial pollinators. While bees, wasps, and ants are well-known pollinators, she highlighted that beetles also play a significant role. There are nearly 78,000 beetle species, including mayflies, cocuyos, and beetles, contributing to pollination.
She explained that this group is larger than bees, wasps, and ants combined. At least one in four beetle species could potentially be pollinators, with 30 out of 160 registered families currently pollinating native and cultivated plants. Beetles have unique characteristics, such as greater diversity and longer flight distances compared to bees.
Dr. Cruz García Albarado from the Postgraduate Campus in Córdoba discussed pollinators from an artistic viewpoint. He explores approaches like Art and Gardens, Landart, Shinrin Yoku, and landscape design to address pollinators and human engagement with nature amidst urban sprawl. His work draws inspiration from English gardens, French impressionist Claude Monet, and Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burlé Marx.
Key Questions and Answers
- What are pollinators? Pollinators are animals, such as butterflies, moths, bats, bees, hummingbirds, and beetles, that transfer pollen from one flower to another, enabling plant reproduction.
- Why are pollinators important? Pollinators play a critical role in maintaining ecosystems and ensuring food security by facilitating the production of fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
- What threats do pollinators face? Pollinators are threatened by unsustainable agricultural practices, habitat loss, agrochemical misuse, invasive species, and climate change.
- What actions are being taken to protect pollinators in Mexico? The Mexican government is revising laws, creating norms for pesticide use, banning high-risk pesticides, and implementing ecosystem restoration projects.
- What other pollinators are there besides bees? Beetles, butterflies, moths, bats, and hummingbirds are also essential pollinators.
