Important invertebrate pollinator species, like the honeybee and butterfly, are under a threat of extinction due to a number of environmental pressures, many of them man-made, a new study found.
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services released a detailed assessment regarding pollinators Friday during its fourth plenary in Malaysia. Results come from a two-year, United Nations-sponsored study conducted by the panel.
The threat against such animals also threatens the health of the world's agricultural food supply, which includes fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and oils. A slowdown in production of these important nutrition sources may have detrimental effects on the population, including increased malnutrition and the loss of up to $577 billion globally, the IPBES warned.
"Pollinators are important contributors to world food production and nutritional security," the assessment's co-chair, Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca, said in a statement. "Their health is directly linked to our own well-being."