Pollinating insects we depend on for food production

In 2018, when one German supermarket removed all the products that would not exist without insects, more than half the shop's items disappeared.

The campaign, launched by the environmental organization NABU, the Environment Ministry of the German state of Lower Saxony and the food retailer Penny, showed that of a total of 2,500 products, 1,500 were directly or indirectly dependent on the work of insects.

Why pollinating insects are so vital for food harvests 

Pollinating insects, such as bees and wasps, flies, beetles and even mosquitoes collect nectar and pollen from flowers.

Pollen sticks to their bodies and then fertilizes the stigma of a flower when they fly or crawl near it. From this, flowers and fruits are born.

Some plants are self-pollinating or are pollinated by the wind. However, active pollination, such as that done by insects, is important for around a third of global food production.

In monetary terms, pollinating insects generate a market value of up to €500 billion ($542 billion) per year, which roughly equates to Belgium's 2022 gross domestic product.

If pollinators disappeared, it is estimated that global harvests would collapse by up to 90%. Our supply of proteins, vitamins and iron would be massively threatened.

Not just honey bees: Which other insects pollinate?

The honey bee plays an important role in pollination.

But whether we are talking about coffee beans, pumpkins or cherries, the more wild bees — such as bumblebees — are involved in fertilization, the higher the crop yield. In other words, 100 honey bees plus 50 wild bees pollinate flowers much more effectively than 150 honey bees.

However, a meta-study that summarized 39 international research papers found that between 25-50% of all flower visits are made not by bees but by other insects, such as flies, beetles, ants, moths and butterflies. A further study by the Technical University of Munich confirmed the importance of these "non-bee pollinators."

Wasps help against pests and maybe even cancer

Summer usually brings with it one pesky friend: the wasp.

No matter whether ice cream or ham — nothing is safe from them. And their sting is really painful.

They may be annoying, but they are also important to us. Wasps, which also include hornets, have a sweet tooth and feed mainly on sugar juices from plants and flowers. They tend to pollinate different types of flowers than bees.

However, their offspring need animal protein and thus are fed with smaller insects. So without wasps, there would be many more insect pests, some of which transmit diseases. The value of this wasp work, also known as their "ecosystem services," is estimated at around $417 billion per year.

Wasp venom could also be used in medicine, as it is effective against various bacteria, fungi and yeasts. The venom of a certain species of field wasp may potentially even help against liver cancer.

What are mosquitoes good for?

Mosquitoes can be super annoying, right?

Well, actually it is really the biting mosquitoes that get on our nerves. And that is just one type. In Germany alone, there are a total of 28 different mosquito families.

They mostly feed on nectar and plant juices, pollinating flowers when they visit them. It is only the females that need our blood, and that is so their eggs can mature.

While they can transmit dangerous diseases, they are also an important source of food for other animals, such as birds and fish. So without mosquitoes, you might have to say goodbye to that delicious smoked trout.

Perhaps worse still — without mosquitoes, there would also be no chocolate and virtually no cocoa. This is because the very small flowers of the cocoa plant are primarily sipped by tiny mosquitoes. Without them, there would be several empty spaces on the chocolate shelf in the supermarket.

Edited by: Tamsin Walker

Sources: 

https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/insekten-und-spinnen/info/22683.html 
The Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU)

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235756821_Wild_Pollinators_Enhance_Fruit_Set_of_Crops_Regardless_of_Honey_Bee_Abundance 
'Wild Pollinators Enhance Fruit Set of Crops Regardless of Honey Bee Abundance', research paper

https://www.tum.de/aktuelles/alle-meldungen/pressemitteilungen/details/nicht-nur-auf-die-bienen-schauen
Technical University of Munich