Economic Dependence and Vulnerability of United States Agricultural Sector on Insect-Mediated Pollination Service

Deficits in insect-mediated pollination service undermine ecosystem biodiversity and function, human nutrition, and economic welfare. Global pollinator supply continues to decline, while production of pollination-dependent crops increases. Using publicly available price and production data and exist...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2021-02, Vol.55 (4), p.2243-2253
Main Authors: Jordan, Alex, Patch, Harland M, Grozinger, Christina M, Khanna, Vikas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural industry
Agricultural production
Agriculture
Animals
Anthropogenic Impacts on the Atmosphere
Bees
Biodiversity
Crop production
Crops
Crops, Agricultural
Dependence
Economics
Ecosystem
Foraging habitats
Human nutrition
Humans
Insecta
Insects
Nutrition
Plant reproduction
Pollination
Pollinators
Sustainable agriculture
United States
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Summary:Deficits in insect-mediated pollination service undermine ecosystem biodiversity and function, human nutrition, and economic welfare. Global pollinator supply continues to decline, while production of pollination-dependent crops increases. Using publicly available price and production data and existing pollination field studies, we quantify economic dependence of United States crops on insect-mediated pollination service at the county level and update existing coefficients of insect dependence of sample crops when possible. Economic value dependent on pollination service totals 34.0 billion USD in 2012. Twenty percent of US counties produce 80% of total economic value attributable to insect pollinators. We compile county-level data and consider the spatial relationship between economic value dependent on insect-mediated pollination, region-specific forage suitability, and crop-specific agricultural areas within US landscapes. We identify vulnerable, highly dependent areas where habitat for wild pollinators has been reduced. These results can help inform future efforts to conserve and bolster managed and wild pollinator populations to ensure sustainable production of key agricultural crops.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/acs.est.0c04786