As human activities rapidly transform the planet, the global insect population is declining at an unprecedented rate. In the UK, a recent survey suggested the number of flying insects have fallen by almost 60% in less than 20 years. Some are calling it an impending 'insect apocalypse'. Their disappearance matters because insects are the most diverse group of organisms on the planet and the foundation of every freshwater and land based ecosystem. They provide food for birds, bats and small mammals; they pollinate around 75% of the crops in the world; they replenish soils and keep pest numbers in check. You may not always like insects in your personal space but you certainly need them to survive. Insect population collapses could mean significant crop failures, collapsing food webs, bird extinctions, disease outbreaks and more. We're going to explore why it's happening and what can be done to mitigate it. Shaun Ley is joined by: Dr Erica McAlister - Principal curator of fleas and flies at the Natural History Museum in London and an honorary fellow of the Royal Entomological Society. Dr David Wagner - Professor of ecology and evolutionary behaviour at the University of Connecticut where he specialises in caterpillars, butterflies, moths, insect conservation and global insect decline. Oliver Milman - US environment correspondent for The Guardian newspaper and author of The Insect Crisis. Also in the programme: Dr Kendra Klein - senior staff scientist with Friends of the Earth in the United States. Julian Little - a plant biochemist with 35 years of experience in the agricultural industry including time as head of communications for Bayer in the UK. (Image: A butterfly rests at the Butterfly Garden in Konya, Turkey. Credit: Serhat Cetinkaya/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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And this week, the world's insect population is declining at an unprecedented rate.
Bee stings and insect borne disease.
We could do without perhaps.
But if insect decline continues, it could mean significant crop failure, collapsing food webs, bird extinction and more.
In large parts of the world, we don't know what's happening to insects because no one's been counting where they are being counted.
The signs are ominous.
A major conservation science report called the State of Nature was published last night and it revealed that 16% of 10,000 different mammals, plants, insects, birds and amphibians that have been assessed are now threatened with extinction.
Environmentalists have issued warnings for decades, but even they are surprised by the speed of the erosion.
Pesticide use in farming is often cited as one of the causes of insect decline.
The type of ubiquitous, continuous use of pesticides that are known to have incredible ecosystem and health impacts is untenable because we are essentially sawing off the branch we're sitting on.
Those who've worked in the industry, though, say it's naive to think more organic farming is the answer when crops still need protection from pests.
Nobody is out there spraying recreationally.
You know, these products are very expensive, they're difficult to use.
You have to have specialized equipment.