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Effects of a possible pollinator crisis on food crop production in Brazil

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  • Samuel M.A. Novais
  • Cássio A. Nunes
  • Natália B. Santos
  • Ana R. D'Amico
  • G. Wilson Fernandes
  • Maurício Quesada
  • Rodrigo F. Braga
  • Ana Carolina O. Neves
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Article numbere0167292
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>30/11/2016
<mark>Journal</mark>PLoS One
Issue number11
Volume11
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English
Externally publishedYes

Abstract

Animal pollinators contribute to human food production and security thereby ensuring an important component of human well-being. The recent decline of these agents in Europe and North America has aroused the concern of a potential global pollinator crisis. In order to prioritize efforts for pollinator conservation, we evaluated the extent to which food production depends on animal pollinators in Brazil - one of the world's agriculture leaders - by comparing cultivated area, produced volume and yield value of major food crops that are pollinator dependent with those that are pollinator non-dependent. In addition, we valued the ecosystem service of pollination based on the degree of pollinator dependence of each crop and the consequence of a decline in food production to the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product and Brazilian food security. A total of 68% of the 53 major food crops in Brazil depend to some degree on animals for pollination. Pollinator non-dependent crops produce a greater volume of food, mainly because of the high production of sugarcane, but the cultivated area and monetary value of pollinator dependent crops are higher (59% of total cultivated area and 68% of monetary value). The loss of pollination services for 29 of the major food crops would reduce production by 16.55-51 million tons, which would amount to 4.86-14.56 billion dollars/year, and reduce the agricultural contribution to the Brazilian GDP by 6.46%-19.36%. These impacts would be largely absorbed by family farmers, which represent 74.4% of the agricultural labor force in Brazil. The main effects of a pollinator crisis in Brazil would be felt by the poorer and more rural classes due to their lower income and direct or exclusive dependence on this ecosystem service.