What Will Happen to Humanity if Bees Go Extinct?

It is often believed that Albert Einstein said if bees disappeared from Earth, humans would have only four years to live, per an NRDC report. While there is no evidence that the great scientist actually said it, a world without bees is certainly a risk to humankind. AsapSCIENCE (@AsapSCIENCE) attempted to explain the phenomenon of pollination through bees and how the declining population of bees will impact the world and food chains on a larger scale, via a YouTube video.

Bees have developed a long co-working relationship with plants that helps them reproduce. The busy bees suck nectar from bright fragrant flowers in return for transferring their pollens from the male part to the female part of plants. “This seemingly simple mechanism is directly responsible for the production of 70% of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts we consume on a daily basis,” the video stated. This percentage reportedly translates into a massive chunk of the global agricultural market, about $200 billion in revenues. 

Now, this process of bee pollination has also been commercialized for human benefit, as professional beekeepers rear droves of bees to help pollinate crops in vast orchards and farms. It was observed that populations of bees have been “mysteriously disappearing” since 2006. This crisis is called colony collapse disorder, and it resulted in one-third of bees abandoning their bee hives, professional beekeepers revealed. While natural causes were at play, with mites, parasites, and viruses threatening the survival of the bees, the video informed that a class of insecticides, neonicotinoids were also to blame. 

“This neurotoxin is used to kill off crop-eating insects and pests but also affects the central nervous systems of bees when they consume contaminated nectar,” the video revealed. The toxin residues in nectar further affect entire communities of bees causing disorientation and mass confusion. Other factors that affect the bees include long winters, invariable nectar from the same kind of crops, and the lack of genetic diversity in commercial bees. Bees are essential components of the food chain and their absence would be felt in all areas, from agriculture to daily life. 

The majority of the produce is obtained from pollination and the idea of a possible alternative for bee pollination is challenging to accomplish on a bigger scale. Therefore, decreased crop production will not fulfill the demands of the agricultural industry. Scarcity in cattle feed due to low pollination will directly affect the production of milk, eggs, and meat– ingredients essential for human survival. In addition, there will also be a shortage of vegetables and natural produce worldwide resulting in hunger and malnutrition while making some foods expensive and rare. Bees also pollinate crops of Coffea arabica, whose beans are used to grind coffee, one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages. 

Only produce like corn, wheat, and rice will be available in bulk without bees since these crops reproduce via wind pollination. Besides food, cotton industries will also suffer restricting the production of mass clothing items like jeans, shirts, towels, mattresses, and even high-quality paper. Apples, avocados, onions, and types of berries also depend on bee pollination, per the NRDC report. At this point in time, conservation efforts are the need of the hour to save our planet from food scarcity. This can be achieved foremost through chemical-free plants, limiting the use of pesticides and herbicides that are detrimental to bees. 

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