Be it the news or the dwindling number of creatures hitting your windscreens, it will not have evaded you that the insect world in bad shape.
In the last three decades, the global biomass of flying insects has shrunk by 75%. Among the trend’s most notables victims is the world’s most important pollinator, the honeybee. In the United States, 48% of honeybee colonies died in 2023 alone, making it the second deadliest year on record. This significant loss is due in part to colony collapse disorder (CCD), the sudden disappearance of bees. In contrast, European countries report lower but still worrisome rates of colony losses, ranging from 6% to 32%.
This decline causes many of our essential food crops to be under-pollinated, a phenomenon that threatens our society’s food security.
