As a society, we are increasingly dependent on pollinators. The proportion of global agricultural production that depends on pollinators has increased fourfold since 1961. Much of this dependence is linked to wild pollinators. Where data exists, we are seeing evidence of wild pollinator decline. Over 16 percent of vertebrate pollinators are threatened with global extinction, 9 percent of wild bee and butterfly species face local extinction, and available National Red Lists show up to 50 percent of bee species assessed are nationally threatened. This could pose an unidentified risk – a pollination deficit – in agricultural supply chains.
