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Graphic shows what would happen to global crops if bees, and other animals, no longer pollinated them.
GN40174EN

ENVIRONMENT

World Bee Day highlights pollinator plight

By Ninian Carter

May 20, 2020 - Bees, nature’s greatest pollinators, are increasingly under threat from disease, parasites, habitat loss and agricultural pesticides.

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated May 20 as World Bee Day.

Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities.

Pollinators allow many plants, including vital food crops, to reproduce. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity – a cornerstone of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. They also serve as sentinels for emergent environmental risks, signalling the health of local ecosystems.

Invasive insects, pesticides, land-use change and monocropping practices may reduce available nutrients and pose threats to bee colonies.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 06/05/2020; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Associated Press
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