Pollinators and our food supply

Pollinators are fundamental to the stability of the global food system. About one out of every three bites of food comes from a crop that depends on animals such as bees, butterflies, moths, beetles and birds to transfer pollen between flowers. This process drives the development of fruits, nuts, seeds and many vegetables. Without healthy pollinator populations, a large share of the foods we rely on would become limited or vanish.

Worldwide, more than 75% of flowering plants and roughly 35% of food crops require animal pollination to produce at full capacity. Crops like apples, blueberries, almonds, squash, coffee and chocolate all depend on consistent pollinator activity. When these species decline, farmers face reduced yields, lower-quality harvests and increasing production costs, which eventually affect consumer access to nutritious foods.

In Michigan, pollinators are central to the success of key specialty crops including apples, tart cherries, blueberries, cucumbers and pumpkins. These crops make up a significant part of the state’s agricultural economy and rely on steady pollination during bloom periods. Poor pollination can quickly lead to smaller harvests and financial losses for growers.

Michigan hosts hundreds of native bee species along with butterflies, moths and beetles that contribute to pollination in both agricultural and natural landscapes. Managed honey bee colonies play a complementary role. Beekeepers place hives near farms so honey bees can pollinate large acreages efficiently during peak bloom. Together, native pollinators and managed colonies form a complex system that supports the state’s most productive crops.

Consider this drastic thought experiment: What would happen if every bee and butterfly in the world suddenly disappeared? Global food production would drop sharply. Many fruits, nuts and vegetables would become rare or extinct because the crops that depend most on these insects would collapse. Our diets would shift heavily toward wind-pollinated crops like corn and wheat, reducing nutrition and food variety. Natural ecosystems would also unravel as flowering plants failed to reproduce, leading to widespread declines in plant and animal species. Other pollinating animals like flies, beetles, bats and birds simply could not fill the gap left behind.

If pollinators are so critically important to our food supply and even our continued existence, why are we not doing more to protect these creatures and provide them with a habitat that will help them thrive?

Pollinator declines are already happening across the globe. Habitat loss, climate shifts, pesticide exposure and the spread of parasites and diseases have weakened many species. Even in agricultural regions like the Great Lakes, diminishing natural habitat is stripping pollinators of the nesting areas and varied food sources they need to survive.

As these declines continue, global food security becomes increasingly fragile. A reduction in pollinator abundance doesn’t just limit crop yields; it narrows the diversity of foods available, heightens the risk of food shortages and contributes to rising food prices. Recognizing the essential role of pollinators underscores how closely our food system is tied to the health of the natural world.