What is abundantly clear about climate change is the myriad ways in which it affects the world around us. The most obvious ways include rising air and sea temperatures as well as longer, dryer seasons. These factors can affect plant and animal diversity as organisms struggle to adapt to changes in their living environment. But one of the most alarming affects is how climate change is negatively affecting biodiversity around the globe.
Specifically, climate change’s impact on the biodiversity of pollinating insects is of great interest to researchers, and may have a significant impact on human health. A team of researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have recently published a study connecting the dots between reduced pollinator biodiversity and poor human health outcomes. Their work is published in a recent article in Environmental Health Perspectives.
Researchers point to an estimated 1-2% annual loss of insect biodiversity as a sign of an impending problem. Among many of these declining insect populations, pollinators are the most worrisome. They play a crucial role in helping improve crop yields that supply vital resources to the globe. As a result, people are not able to get the foods they need, including healthy food options, which could dramatically decrease human health outcomes.
To understand the connection between pollinator reductions and human health, researchers used data from hundreds of farms to model how pollinator reductions affect crops that are especially dependent on pollinators for success. They then combined this approach with an analysis of the global health impacts of these changes.
Generally, researchers found in their model that reduced pollinators led to a loss of fruit, vegetables, and nuts, to the tune of about a 3-5% reduction. However, researchers connected this reduction in food production to an increase in over 400,000 excess deaths. These deaths were linked to a rise in conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, likely because people had less access to nutritious foods that could help prevent these conditions.
Researchers also found that lower-income countries saw the greatest reduction in food production, but it was wealthier countries that saw the greatest reduction in health status, especially those with higher rates of chronic conditions.
Sources: Science Daily; Environmental Health Perspectives
