New Study Reveals Bees Could Boost Crops and Stabilize Food Prices Amid Threats of Global Recession and Inflation

Bees are famously known as pollinators who are responsible for helping plants survive and reproduce by transporting pollen grains between different plant species like flowers. While the winged insects are also known for stinging humans either individuals or in a form of swarm, a new study shows they also have a significant purpose in relation to the world's current state.

The new research led by the University of Reading in England that helping and supporting pollinators can result in food price stabilization. Since pollination leads to food or crop production, scientists are considering if the small pollinators can address the agricultural issue through crop boost amid the threats posed by potential global recession and inflation.

The notion is in line with the study's context of the current food price hike worldwide caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine, due to its reduced ability to export food products following the invasion of Russian in the Eastern European nation in February 2022.

Ukraine is known as the world's largest sunflower oil exported and one of the top providers of wheat exports, accounting to approximately 10% of the total ingredient. With this, the research states that Ukraine is only of the range of factors, including high oil prices, which paved the way for current food price to soar.

Food Price Stabilization

(Photo : Photo by Emma Benitez )

The research, published in the journal Ecology Letters on Sunday, July 17, emphasizes the importance of animal pollination to crop yield, which is known already. However, the said pollination when it comes to "spatial or temporal stability" of crop yield remains a poorly understood subject matter.

The UK-based researchers employed meta-analysis to combine information from 215 experimental comparisons between animal-pollinated and wind/self-pollinated control plants in apple and other fruits and vegetables.

Also Read: Bees: Only a Few Needed to Pollinate World's Crops, New Study Suggests

Plant Yields

In terms of yields, the research team found that were was a 32% less variation in plants visited by bees and other insect pollinators than plants that grew in the absence of the pollen-transferring animals, as summarized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Through the method, the team found increased yield stability under animal pollination is at its peak when yield benefits of such pollination are greatest. The study specifies that managing crop pollination to elevate yield also increase leads to yield stability.

The research acknowledges that such findings are not yet integrated to economic assessments but advocates the improvement of policies to protect pollinators.

Global Recession Threat

The UK study advocates the protection of pollinators since they can help in achieving food price stabilization by ensuring the constant production of nutritious food, which is a necessity for farmers and for the global food security.

Furthermore, University of Reading researchers used stability as a key factor on addressing the food crisis, since instability or shocks throughout the food system can result in dramatic food price increases, as cited by the AAAS.

In May the United States' Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System stated that heightened geopolitical risks is evident amid the war in Ukraine, affecting the global economy and pushing up inflation, as well as the supply of food and crucial ingredients.