Human welfare and its connection to nature: What have we learned from crop pollination studies?

Abstract

Human welfare depends on the function of natural systems. This idea is paradigmatic to ecologists and has been the theme of a growing branch of applied ecology. I examine the narrative of human dependence on nature by considering the literature on crop pollination by animals and its importance for food production. Making the connections between human welfare and natural systems is seen as a way to better motivate society to make better decisions, but the debate around crop pollination has been surprisingly contentious. There have been confusing messages, disagreements on the facts, an unfortunate focus on dire projections for the future and a lesser focus on solutions. Most of these problems arise not from poor science but instead from poor communication of complex ideas and differences in perspective, such as the deep disciplinary gap between agricultural scientists and ecologists. By understanding these problems, we can improve the way we do our science and communicate our ideas. I argue that ecologists should continue to communicate the principle that human welfare depends on the function of natural systems and discuss how we can do so in a way that is more genuinely connected to society's needs, such as growing food. If we succeed, we will be changing an intellectually interesting conversation into a dialogue that influences how society interacts with nature.