The Urgent Need for Radical Decisions to Preserve Insects and Sustainable Agriculture

Radical decisions must be taken regarding the development of sustainable agricultural methods that preserve the environment, by reducing the excessive use of pesticides.

Insects represent a large part of the Earth’s population, and researchers estimate that the number of their species may reach about 5.5 million species, representing about 80% of the total number of animal organisms, and it is one of the forty branches of the animal kingdom.

And put up a report It was published by the “Discover magazine” platform on the first of July, an important question: What if insects completely disappeared from the world? Should humans be concerned about this?

Elisa Grimes, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Nevada, USA, commented in the report on the continuous decline in insect numbers, saying, “Several studies have indicated that insect numbers are decreasing, which is worrisome. They are not decreasing in Germany alone, but are decreasing in the United States, Brazil and Costa Rica.” It seems to be decreasing all over.”

Humans are the most important influences in the number of insects

He points out a report Issued by Reuters in December of 2022 to the planet losing about a quarter to half a million species of insects during the last 150 years, according to a study published in the Journal of Biological Conservation, and insect numbers remain declining until Today, although it is difficult to accurately determine these numbers, because researchers are not able to discover all types of insects.

And David Wagner explains – within the Reuters report – that the number of insects continues to decline and cannot be restored for one reason only. Building larger, more productive farms, increasing reliance on nitrogen fertilizers, in addition to the human urban sprawl aimed at expanding the establishment of cities at the expense of the countryside.

Of course, we cannot ignore the negative impact of climatic changes on the life of the planet in general and insects in particular. Wagner says about that, “Climate changes lead to drying out of vast areas of wet areas around the world, which is disastrous for several species of insects.”

Wagner’s insight supports my findings study Published in the “Nature Climate Change” journal in October of the year 2022, which indicated that 65% of the number of insects in question may become extinct over the next century AD, due to sharp changes in temperature in various regions of the planet.

Climate changes lead to drying out of vast areas of the world, which is disastrous for several species of insects (Shutterstock)

Huge damage to the global agricultural sector

And in research paper Entitled “Scientists Warn Humanity of Insect Extinction” published in 2020, the researchers emphasized the role of insects in the natural course of life on the planet, explaining their contribution to several activities, including preserving soil fertility and biodiversity (the presence of various living organisms on the surface of the planet), and protecting chains. Food that provides food for various animals, birds, fish and humans, and helps them produce several medical and industrial products.

One of the most important risks resulting from the extinction of insects is the negative impact on agricultural production for one of the studiesInsects contribute to the pollination of about 75% of the types of agricultural crops, and to the reproduction of about 94% of wild flowering plants.

The absence of one of the elements of plant pollination – especially agricultural crops – will necessarily lead to a lack of reproduction, and thus the human loss of the main source of food.

Insects pollinate about 75% of agricultural crops (Shutterstock)

The growing impact of harmful pests and poor waste management

In addition, several types of insects, such as some types of beetles, contribute to getting rid of harmful pests, and pests are types of insects, some of which destroy agricultural crops, and some of which cause the transmission of diseases between humans.

Given that these pests – especially those harmful to crops – cost millions of dollars to control them and protect agricultural production, it is expected in the future that the costs of fighting these pests will rise due to the extinction of the important insects that resist them for free.

On the other hand, insects contribute to the recycling of animal and plant waste, as they play an important role in analyzing and decomposing dead bodies into simple materials that are used as nutrients for the terrestrial and marine environment, and the extinction of insects eliminates this role, which means an increase in pollution rates, and a decrease in the rate of production of natural nutrients.

The planet has lost nearly half a million species of insects in 150 years (Shutterstock)

Humans have to be careful

The role of insects does not depend on what we mentioned only, as they are a basic food source for a large number of living creatures, including birds, some mammals and fish, which indicates that humans face a new factor leading to global famines through the extinction of insects, which is followed by the disappearance of a number of insects. Food that is important to humans, and indicates the possibility of losing the environmental balance between different organisms.

A group of researchers from the Universities of Sydney and Queensland and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences called for a report they published in 2019. its results The agency “CNN” (CNN) stressed the need to take radical decisions regarding the development of sustainable agricultural methods that preserve the environment, by reducing the excessive use of pesticides.

The researchers stressed during the report that “changing how we produce food is inevitable, otherwise insects will become extinct within the next few decades.”