Ecological capital

Pollinators’ contribution to the global ecological capital is invaluable and their impact on biodiversity and environmental quality is vital. An estimated 80 percent of flowering plants are pollinated by a diverse insect fauna. Our food supply and survival depend on this eco-systemic service.

Insect pollination not only increases crop yields, but also helps to improve the quality of such crops. Insect-pollinated vegetables usually have a higher market value than wind-pollinated or self-pollinated vegetables, and those improvements are even greater when crops are pollinated by different agents that include a wide array of non-bee pollinators, such as flies, beetles, ants, wasps or butterflies.

“The annual global contribution of the many pollinating insects is estimated to be worth around $577 billion. Decomposition and soil formation are estimated to be worth four times as much as pollination in total” (Sverdrup-Thygeson, 2020, p. 167). Given the great economic impact of this eco-systemic service, governments should include it as a key priority in their policies.

Native bees play a key role in ecosystems, and they provide more than $3 billion dollars in pollination services to the United States every year.