Parallels in Global Food Insecurity: Examining Pollinator Decline and Assessing an Ecological Collapse Through Arctic Entomology

Can Arctic Entomology Predict the Future of Global Food Security?

By Nina Anastasia Zevgolis, Contributing Writer

With pollinator populations on a decline, plant-pollinator ecosystems are emphasizing the immediate need for a reform in climate change policy. In the Arctic, where severe impacts from global warming are anticipated, the temporal dynamics—capturing the evolution of species and connections over time—take on heightened significance. The correlation between the onset of the flowering season and Arctic snowmelt, combined with the vanishing presence of pollinators and plants, stresses the action to avert Arctic starvation and global food scarcity (1). Subsequently, this piece will explore the interplay of Arctic pollinators and their vital role in sustaining Indigenous communities within this changing environmental landscape.

Indigenous peoples have inhabited the Arctic for thousands of years, constituting approximately 10 percent of the total Indigenous population in Arctic areas. The region is home to over 40 different ethnic groups, including the Saami in circumpolar areas of Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Northwest Russia, and Inuit (Iñupiat) in Alaska, the Inuit (Inuvialuit) in Canada, and the Inuit (Kalaallit) in Greenland (2). In total, approximately 13.1 million people inhabit the circumpolar North. For 5,000 years, the Inuit have occupied territories stretching across the Chukotka Peninsula of Russia, east across Alaska and Canada, to the southeastern coast of Greenland. Hunting traditions focused on marine mammals have been cultivated by the Inuit, sustaining their cultural heritage, and providing essential nutrients crucial for health, while also participating in the global economy (2). However, the decline of pollinators poses a severe threat to Arctic fauna, disrupting the balance of ecosystems vital to Inuit livelihoods. As pollinators diminish, key plants relied upon for sustenance are at risk, jeopardizing food security and economic stability for Inuit communities. Addressing this decline is imperative not only for preserving Arctic biodiversity but also for safeguarding the health and prosperity of future Inuit generations.

Analyzing global food systems across various stages, from production to consumption, reveals a complex relationship between human activities and the environment (1). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN FAO) defines food security as ensuring that “all people have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, meeting their dietary needs for an active and healthy life” (3). The three pillars of food security—availability, access, and use—operate at multiple levels, linked to human health, and span individual, household, national, regional, and global dimensions (3). The social significance of the food system is further highlighted by the sustained and predictable availability and access to food through Indigenous cultural practices (4). Predictable availability refers to the consistent and reliable presence of food resources, enabling communities to plan and depend on these resources for their dietary needs. For Indigenous cultural practices, this predictable availability plays a crucial role in maintaining food security, contributing not only to physical well-being but also preserving cultural traditions and social cohesion. In Indigenous Arctic communities like the Inuit, reliable access to hunting grounds and marine resources ensures food security, supports cultural traditions, and strengthens social ties.

The decline in insect health and population, vital for pollinating 90% of Earth’s flora and 35% of global crop volume, showcases the crucial role of bees in biotic pollination, especially in food crops (1). Climate change heightens the decline in insect populations, calling for action to address the food security challenges faced by Canadian Inuit communities (4). This demands adaptive strategies and a more profound understanding of local and regional trends, emphasizing the crucial role of governmental bodies and policymakers in creating regulations to address climate challenges effectively.

Pollination, a mutually beneficial interaction between plants and pollinators, involves the transfer of pollen during feeding. Insect pollinators are drawn to nectar (carbohydrate) or pollen (protein) and possess specific behavior and anatomy that facilitate the pickup and distribution of pollen between flowers (5). Global climate change encompasses shifts in phenology, the timing of recurring biological events in relation to climatic and environmental changes, habitat loss, extreme weather events, temperature extremes, and altered plant-pollinator networks. These changes are expected to speed up the decline in pollinator populations, posing substantial threats to ecosystem resilience and food security on local and global scales. 

The problems tied to the decline in pollinators are not just about keeping a few specific insects alive but ensuring the survival of a wide variety of insect species and promoting biodiversity. Relying heavily on a single species for agriculture can lead to catastrophic events wherein agricultural landscapes become simplified and possess less diverse practices. Indeed, reduced diversity of pollinator species may result in diminished genetic diversity in crops, increasing susceptibility to pathogens that could devastate entire continents of produce. This overreliance on a singular pollinator species exposes vulnerabilities, as seen in the threats faced by tree species like American Elm (Ulmus americana), White Ash (Fraxinus americana), and Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) from afflictions such as Dutch Elm Disease, a fungal disease spread by Elm Bark Beetles. In Silent Spring (1962), Rachel Carson anticipated such consequences as she noted that past generations’ biological unsophistication, represented by the widespread planting of single species, invites disaster, highlighting the risks associated with monoculture (5).

Various species, including flies, wasps, beetles, bats, and many more, contribute to pollination. However, bees play a key role by providing approximately 70% of biotic pollination, essential for ecosystem vitality and global food security (4). 75% of crops cultivated for fruits or seeds rely on pollination, contributing to an annual ecosystem service, defined as the benefits that ecosystems provide to human well-being, valued at up to USD 577 billion (4). Recognized by the UN FAO as the “highest agricultural contributor to yields worldwide, surpassing any other agricultural management practice,” pollination is crucial for stable and productive agricultural systems (7). The decrease in pollination raises concerns about significant disruptions in crop production, leading to potential annual losses of nearly $3 billion globally for producers, and increased prices for consumers (8). This heightens the urgency of exploring alternative pollination methods, like hand pollination to mitigate the potential economic impacts. In that vein, the prospect of relying on hand pollination, with estimated annual labor costs of up to $90 billion in the United States, raises concerns about food elitism—exclusionary practices that limit access to essential resources (4). In such a scenario, certain crops that are more amenable to hand pollination might become predominant, such as fruit trees or berry crop plants, potentially reducing the variety of available vegetation. This limitation of dietary diversity will become especially harmful for families facing challenges in accessing affordable and nutritious foods. Examining the dynamics of pollinator-plant relations in Central Europe and North America reveals threats to temperate climates; harsher climates, both tropical and polar, are likely to experience impacts at a more alarming rate.

Despite the Arctic’s harsh temperatures, it hosts a variety of cold-tolerant insects, like muscid flies, bumble bees, and syrphid flies, which possess adaptations such as antifreeze proteins, hibernation strategies, specialized cuticles to resist freezing, altered metabolic processes for energy conservation, and behavioral adaptations like communal nesting to enhance survival in extreme cold conditions (9). These insects play crucial roles in Arctic pollination networks and contribute significantly to the region’s biodiversity.

Insects, especially pollinators, serve as keystone species in almost every ecosystem. The food web, an ecological concept taught in grade school, highlights the trophic structure (hierarchical arrangement of different feeding levels in an ecosystem) with producers, consumers, secondary consumers, and apex predators – humans being apex predators. Paradoxically, this might make us the most vulnerable, as we depend on this ecological web. 

The Arctic faces a double-edged sword – soaring living costs and the impending decline in pollinators, jeopardizing food security. Prices are skyrocketing in the Canadian Arctic: grapes are priced at $28.58, baby formula at $26.99, asparagus at $32.99 per kg, and a 35-pack of bottled water at $83.49. The cost of feeding a family of four is twice that in Ottawa, thus exacerbating food scarcity (10, 11, 12). These high prices are attributed to the region’s geographical isolation and reliance on imports, underscoring the importance of preserving the native Arctic diet to sustain traditional hunting and trading practices. The Arctic diet, which includes salmon, cod, seals, whales, game meat, hardy berries, and root vegetables like Arctic potatoes, faces pressure from climate change on fish stocks, animal migration patterns, berry growth, and traditional hunting practices (13). The loss of pollinators further threatens the availability of berries and fruits, disrupting the trophic structure within the Arctic ecology. Amidst these challenges, preserving the trophic structure becomes crucial for the Arctic ecosystem and Indigenous communities relying on traditional practices. Navigating economic implications, including the impact of set prices in geographically isolated locations, and national food recommendations poses a challenge. Such implications heightens vulnerabilities to diseases and perpetuates a harmful cycle of health challenges, food insecurity, and food elitism (10). In this context, the film “Angry Ink,” (a piece recommended to broaden anyone’s perspective on “Green Activist” groups) sheds light on the environmental consequences of unchecked consumerism and serves as a reminder of the importance of ecological sustainability and responsible resource management. In the face of rising temperatures and sea levels, Arctic Indigenous populations and fauna are on the brink of collapse. Polar life is being driven to extreme survival measures (Polar Bears have been seen to resort to cannibalizing their offspring when faced with food scarcity (14)). Simultaneously, the decline of pollinators has far-reaching consequences for all species, reflecting humanity’s significant impact on the planet since the Industrial Revolution. Records indicate our (Swede Scientist, Svante Arrhenius) awareness of atmospheric changes from particulate matter date back to 1897 (15)! Yet, despite decades of public awareness about unsustainable consumption habits, we persist, celebrating consumerism with events like “Black Friday” sales and constant phone upgrades while also supporting microtrend companies like Shein, H&M or ASOS. It is crucial to educate ourselves on endangered ecosystems, acknowledging that consequences, even in distant places like the Arctic, will eventually affect us all. Policy reforms like funding for Arctic floral habitats, enforcing regulations to curb disruptive industrial activities like oil, gas, and mining exploration, and crucially, collaborating with Indigenous Arctic communities to integrate traditional ecological knowledge into conservation efforts will raise awareness and aid declining pollinator populations. A collective shift in perspective is urgently needed, as geographical distance does not shield us from repercussions of environmental degradation.

References

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Image source: Buehler, D. (2015, August 9). Bumblebee in a dwarf willow, Baker Lake, Nunavut. [Photograph]. Deborah M. Buehler – ResearchED. https://buehlerdm.wordpress.com/2015/08/09/how-travelling-helps-me-appreciate-life-examples-from-the-arctic/