Pollinators play a critical role in agriculture and food security and for the broader functioning of ecosystems. Pollination enables the natural fertilization and reproduction of flowering plants. Seventy-five percent of the world’s leading food crops, from cacao to pumpkins, are partially reliant on animal pollinators for fruit and seed production. One-third of all crop production depends on animal pollinators. The overall value of pollination services globally was estimated at $173 billion per year in 2009, and the acreage of crops requiring pollination is increasing.

However, pollinator populations have seriously declined in recent years in many areas of the world leading to serious concerns and a significant economic threat to farmers and related businesses. In response to this threat, governments and organizations have created policies and programs aimed to conserve and protect pollinators. While these efforts are a first step, they need greater political support to truly reverse the conditions threatening pollinators and by extension, our agricultural system.