UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on Monday warned against the drastic drops in populations of bees and other pollinators.
Bees, as major pollinators, are crucial for efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet populations of bees and other pollinators have decreased significantly, Mohammed told an event to celebrate World Bee Day at UN Headquarters in New York.
Intensive agriculture and pesticide use are placing bees in ever greater danger. Bees are being exposed to new diseases and pests. And of course, climate change has become a major threat, she noted.
The decline and disappearance of bees and wild insects would have drastic consequences for global ecosystems and human well-being, she warned.
The senior UN official asked for urgent and wide-ranging efforts to protect bees across wild, agricultural and urban habitats.
"This observance of World Bee Day comes at an important juncture. We aim to create a bit of a buzz around this challenge -- but this is no laughing matter. Let us work together to ensure that these hard-working creatures can thrive so that the ecosystems and humans that depend on them can do the same -- today and for future generations."
It has been estimated that more than three-quarters of the leading types of global food crops rely to some extent on bees and other pollinators. Moreover, well-pollinated crops have been shown to taste better and have a higher nutrient value, a better appearance and a longer shelf life, said Mohammed.
One international study estimates that the annual global food production that depends on pollination is worth as much as half a trillion U.S. dollars, she said.
Beekeeping provides an important source of income, especially for people in rural areas, she noted.
The UN General Assembly designated May 20 as World Bee Day in December 2017.