Insect deaths: There is no longer enough buzzing!

Biological diversity, the wealth of nature, is worse than ever. According to scientists, the current extinction of species is ten to a hundred times faster than the average of the past 10 million years. And it's not just about the number of insects. One in three animal and plant species is endangered in Germany. Since 1989, we have lost three quarters of insect biomass. A study by the Technical University of Munich has now shown that a large proportion of all insect groups are endangered in 290 areas during the study period from 2008 to 2017. In addition to forests, the greatest loss of species affects grassland areas, especially meadows surrounded by arable land. So it's not just insect biomass that's declining, but also species diversity. The situation is no better in other countries.

60 percent of the bird species native to Germany feed mainly on insects.

Effects of insect extinction
If the state of our ecosystems continues to deteriorate as dramatically as it has so far, around a million species could disappear within the next few decades. This would have significant consequences for us humans, particularly in terms of nutrition. The loss of pollinating insects alone costs food production worldwide between 235 and 577 million dollars annually. Almost 90 percent of all plants (including so-called crops) depend on pollination by insects. In addition, insects are an important source of food for many birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians and other insects. 60 percent of the bird species native to Germany feed mainly on insects. If their numbers continue to decline, countless animals, especially young ones, will starve and die.

The cause is man
In this context, hardly any group has come under more criticism as a cause than agriculture. Yet no other is as dependent on the pollination performance of insects and bees as this very industry that produces our food. Everyone became aware, especially during the Corona period, of how important it is that we still have a responsible, balanced and efficient agricultural sector in Germany. The aim cannot be to relocate the high standards of German food production abroad in order to then import food with lower standards. Let alone to maintain non-functioning supply chains (see face masks etc.). It is interesting that the TU study (biodiversity study led by TU Munich, published in the journal Nature) could not establish a direct connection with regional land use intensity, i.e. heavily cultivated and untouched areas (including forest areas). For years, agriculture has been creating flower strips with a length of over 230,000 kilometers around the fields. The only possible cause is humans themselves. The intensification of agriculture, deforestation, climate change and the unbridled hunger for resources are causing the earth's ecological reserves to shrink. Other examples include settlement development, light pollution in cities, the unbridled sealing of areas, paved or gravelled gardens with constant lighting at night, as well as traffic and transport infrastructure. The causes of the decline in insects are therefore diverse and quite complex. They do not just affect agriculture. There is more to it - and we all have to do our part.

Proceeds from agricultural products
Agriculture is earning less and less from the food it produces, even though farmers are becoming more and more productive. Today, farmers only receive around 22 cents for every euro that consumers spend on food. At the beginning of the 1970s, it was around 48 cents, and in 1950 it was even 63 cents. In addition, farmers do not set prices! They produce what is bought. Regardless of what standards some consumers expect or would like. Action is crucial - in other words, the purchasing behavior of consumers at the point of sale. In addition, German and European agricultural policy controls the entire production process through premiums and funding guidelines, for example by determining economic and eligible farm sizes, promoting monocultures for energy production, fertilization, use and approval of pesticides, etc.

Necessary measures in the agricultural sector
Instead of countering this negative trend, the last reform of EU agricultural policy has not really improved the situation. A large part of the almost 40 percent of the EU budget that concerns agriculture continues to promote structures that mostly harm nature. Here it is easy to identify the levers of EU agricultural policy. However, not only cosmetic measures are needed, but fundamental reforms: In future, farmers should be appropriately rewarded for the services they provide for food production and nature. Flat-rate area premiums that favor large landowners with strong lobbying power must be abolished, and small and medium-sized farms should be given proportionally more support for food production and specific nature conservation services. Landscape elements such as hedges or field margins, wet spots or roadsides must be preserved, maintained and expanded, especially in the agricultural "favorable regions" (strongholds). Tight crop rotations, a lack of fallow land and small structures should be avoided. For all of this, farmers must be paid adequate compensation for making their land and services available.

Plant protection products, pesticide use, insecticides and over-fertilization
The use of pesticides (especially neonicotinoids) in agriculture affects insects. For example, total herbicides such as glyphosate destroy weeds, which are an important source of food, nesting and overwintering for insects. The neonicotinoids used act like neurotoxins on insects. They kill them or negatively affect their ability to orientate themselves and their reproduction rate.
The amount of pesticides used has not increased in recent decades, but the agricultural land has decreased. In addition, the number of organically managed areas (on which almost no pesticides are used) has increased. This is likely to have increased the amount of pesticides applied per hectare. Pesticides that are viewed with criticism must be examined intensively and banned without lobbying. For example, Deutsche Bahn and many road maintenance departments are also major users of glyphosate. In over-fertilized agricultural areas, often in combination with pesticides, substances are released into the environment that displace both wild plants and insects.

Infrastructure measures
Further fragmentation and sealing of the landscape through road construction and large supermarkets with surrounding parking areas must be reduced. These restrict the freedom of movement and the radius of movement as well as the remaining habitats for insects too much. In particular, the important wild bees do not fly as far as honey bees, for example. Take a closer look at the large concentrations of supermarkets and get an idea. Where are wild bees supposed to live there? Paving and easy-care "rock gardens" also have a significant impact on insect diversity. There are good examples of how every private person can host a veritable abundance of insects even in large city districts and on balconies through flowering plant gardens, troughs or boxes and with insect hotels.

Not to be underestimated: climate change
In long-term studies, Danish researchers have found that populations of highly specialized insect species are affected by climate change. While some species reproduce more rapidly, resident species are often displaced. Traffic does the rest, and everyone should consider whether they can avoid the odd trip or flight. But we cannot do it alone. These are global problems that must be solved! All insect species need water sources, and these must be maintained or created. You only have to watch the buzzing of insects at ponds and other water sources to see that water really does mean life. The number of beekeepers, mostly hobby beekeepers, is increasing, while the number of colonies is decreasing. It is no secret that inexperience in this area can cause massive damage. There are now training programs, so-called "bee courses" for hobby beekeepers, as well as support from "sponsors" in beekeeping associations. Unfortunately, there are still some stubborn people who do not accept this and do not implement it correctly. If the necessary knowledge and experience are not available, this can quickly lead to mite infestation in your own colony and to reinvasions of mites in your neighbor's healthy and well-maintained bee colonies.

CONCLUSION
It is important that all tasks and measures that contribute to a speedy solution to the problem are tackled quickly. This is a catalogue of measures for society as a whole. Everyone must do their part, not just agriculture! Agriculture bears the largest share of the burden and must be compensated appropriately for this. But simply blaming agriculture for the root causes of the problem is too easy. Everyone has their own power to take effective action against the insect extinction.

Author: Gerhard Pfeffer, Image source: Pixabay