Pollinators Needed for Food Production

Roughly 80 to 90% of all plants depend on animals for pollination. According to Kelly Bills, executive director of a national California-based nonprofit organization called the Pollinator Partnership.

“Pollinators are any animal vector that can facilitate the reproduction of plants. So these are these most commonly butterflies, birds beetles, bat flies are really important pollinators.

Pollinators are directly tied to food production and understanding their decrease and what impact that has on the food supply should be a reminder of their vital role in securing food sources. According to Bills.

“You’ve probably heard this sound bite that about one in every three bites, the food we eat is supported by pollinators.is a third of our diet, obviously very important. And also it tends to be the most nutritious food they're really high antioxidant food. You know, all the fruits, vegetables, we obviously really need the pollinators. And unfortunately, there are quite a few issues going on with pollinators. I wouldn't say all of them are facing extinction because there's so many different types of pollinators out there. Not all of them are in decline, but overall, managed pollinators are becoming harder to manage. So those honeybees that we really need for a lot of the agricultural pollination, commercial pollination.”

Pollinator Partnership, Executive Director Kelly Bills.