Global decline in pollination limitation of pollinator-dependent crops.
Siopa C, Aizen MA, Castro S, Loureiro J, Sáez A
Pollinators
That hollow spot on your squash vine where a fruit aborted and shriveled? Across 86 crops and 70 years of data, fields that actively managed pollinators steadily closed that gap — while fields left to chance showed zero improvement, even as wild bees declined around them.
Scientists looked at 70 years of data across 86 food crops and found something surprising: even though wild bees and other pollinators have been disappearing, crop plants aren't producing as much less food as you'd expect. The reason is that farmers have gotten much better at bringing in managed bees — like honeybees — to fill the gap. Plants that can also pollinate themselves, like many tomatoes, also held up better. The downside is that fields relying entirely on wild insects for pollination showed no improvement at all.
Key Findings
Pollination limitation averages 36% across pollinator-dependent crops, meaning plants routinely produce about a third less than their potential under ideal pollination.
Pollination limitation declined by 50% between 1950 and the 2010s, but only in fields using managed pollinators — unmanaged fields showed no measurable improvement over the same period.
Meta-analysis of 790 effect sizes across 86 crops found that autogamy (self-pollination ability) independently reduces yield gaps, pointing toward breeding self-fertile traits as a complementary strategy.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Despite widespread wild pollinator declines, crop yield gaps from inadequate pollination have actually fallen by half since 1950 — driven by increasingly effective managed pollinator programs. Wild pollinator conservation remains critical for long-term resilience, but current agricultural pollination management has successfully offset much of the expected yield loss.
Abstract Preview
Biotic pollination benefits 75% of crops, representing about 35% of global food production. Given widespread reports of pollinator decline over the last decades, crop yield losses might be expected...
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