Economic Value of Insect Pollination Worldwide Estimated at 153 Billion Euros

A study by scientists from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research shows that the decline of pollinators would have a tremendous effect in global agriculture. In the 2005 estimates, the worldwide economic value of the pollination service provided by insect pollinators, bees mainly, was €153 billion for the main crops, 9.5% of the total value of the world agricultural food production. The study published in the Ecological Economics Journal on the decline of pollinators is focused on three main crop categories: fruits and vegetables, valued at €50 billion each, followed by edible oilseed crops with €39 billion. Based on the vulnerability ratio, defined as the ratio of the economic value of insect pollination divided by the total crop production value, the stimulant crops coffee and cocoa which are insect pollinated have a maximum vulnerability ratio of 39%, nuts 31% and fruits 23%. Although the results of the study mean that the decline in main crop pollinators is not really catastrophic, a substantial economic loss however necessitates measures to conserve these pollinators.

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