The extinction of bees is a serious problem that many countries have already encountered. We decided to check whether humanity really depends on the bees that it can die without them.

The prophecy of the death of mankind due to the disappearance of bees is often attributed to Albert Einstein (we already Checked And they found out that this is a mistake). The question is whether the extinction of the bees really is so dangerous, surfaces on the Internet constantly - on sites beekeepers, on the portal Adme, on blogs on "Yandex.Zen" And Travelaskeven in Media.

In recent years, the problem of extinction of bees is acute for many countries of the world - this has been faced and Europe, And USA, And Russia. But is it so scary for humanity?

Authoritative American beekeeping specialist Samuel McGregor in 1976 in his book “Pollination by insects of cultivated plants”, published with the support of the US Department of Agriculture, argued that a third of our diet directly or indirectly depends on insects. Is it so? Modern scientists do not quite agree with him.

Professor of the Department of Enthomology University of Georgia Keith S. Delaplan He thinksthat the existence of bees does not directly affect the possibility of survival of mankind. But it affects the quality of this life - first of all, with regard to nutrition. True, it depends on which region and what culture a person lives, whether the basis of its diet is beef and dairy products, oilseeds and fruits.

Delash also refers to study groups of scientists, conducted on the basis of crop data, which annually collects Food and agricultural organization of the UN (FAO). They tried to answer the question "How important is pollination for the harvest with the help of living beings?" The period under consideration was quite significant - from 1941 to 2006. Scientists have found that the share of global food products, depending on animal pollination, ranges from 5% in industrialized countries up to 8% in developing countries. The authors note that about 75% of world cultures to one degree or another benefit from animal pollination, but only 10% of these 75% are completely dependent on this.

The main conclusion that scientists made is that most of the calories necessary to maintain human life come from agricultural crops that are independent of pollinators. Of course, the quality of life without fruits, berries, coffee and fruits of other plants, which is necessary, will become worse, but to say that humanity does not survive without them, is still incorrect.

What plants can perfectly survive without bees? The answer to this question can be found in research another group of biologists. They argue that wheat, rice, barley, corn, oats - namely, these products make up a significant part of a person’s diet - are perfectly bypassed by abiotic pollination (for example, with the help of wind). Without pollination, most of the vegetables are also fruit. But even if we talk about fruits, then, for example, bananas, pineapples and grapes are pollinated with the same wind or even just gravity, which means that disappearance without bees is unlikely for them. As you can see, a person will be able to survive without insects-pollinators.

At the same time, the extinction of bees still has a significant impact on the economy. For example, pollination is necessary for nuts. The Agricultural Economics Fund of the University of California held the corresponding study And he found out that since 2010, producers of almonds have to spend an additional $ 83 million every year on the purchase or rent of new hives in the dead, which, accordingly, affects the final price for the consumer.

In addition, the biologist Tor Hanson, the author of the book “buzzing. The natural story of bees ”, offers to think not about the amount of food, which without bees will still be sufficient for survival, but about its quality. Because many delicious and familiar things will still have to refuse. As an example, he Curses "Big Mack." The well -known recipe for this burger - two grilled meat cutlets, special sauce, cheese, cucumbers, salad and onions - all on a bun with sesame seeds. What can be obtained from this, disappear from the face of the Earth? Cutlets - yes, but, most likely, without pepper, because pollination is necessary for its cultivation. But the “thousand islands” sauce, which makes up the taste base of the burger, we will not see. Almost every ingredient of it: cucumbers, onions, paprika, turmeric - needs pollination. There will be no salad. And cheese, most likely, too. About the bow and cucumbers have already been said above. In addition to cutlets, only a bun will remain in the Big Mack - and that without sesame seeds.

Do not forget that, in addition to food, the production of cosmetics and textile industry is “tied” on the bees (the cotton harvest depends on pollination). Greenpeace I countedthat the contribution of bees to the world economy is calculated by tens of billions of dollars (despite the fact that they themselves work for free). Yes, humanity, most likely, will not die without bees. But life will become worse and more expensive.

Of course, bees are not the only animals that pollinate the plants. However, by data FAO, under the threat of extinction are other insects-pollinators-only about 40%. But even this still does not threaten humanity in death in the near future. In addition, perhaps the day is not far away when robots will work side by side with living bees. At least, Harvard is already underway Development.