Belgian entomologist Guy Smaghe, Honorary Doctor of the Polytechnic University of Madrid and an expert in pest control, warns that "24% of wild bees in Europe can disappear before 5 years."
According to the researcher, pollination by bees in agriculture is the reason for receiving "153 billion euros per year, which is equivalent to 9.5% of all world agricultural production."
Smaghe points out that 46% of European bumblebee species “are in a regression state, and half of them are threatened with extinction.” Without pollination, the supply of fruits, vegetables, and stimulants such as coffee and cocoa will not be able to satisfy consumer demand, ”since 70% of crops depend on it.
Direct speech: “We need sustainable agriculture to feed the population, which will reach 9 billion people in ten years,” this scientist believes.
Its biological pest control system, which is currently used by "95% of tomato producers in Almeria," was developed in conjunction with the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), with which it has been cooperating for 25 years, emphasizes Smagghe.
For the scientist, the renaturation of the Manzanares River, which flows through Madrid, is a prime example of how to stimulate biodiversity in the city, promoting urbanization with green spaces. On the banks of the river “planted species of flowers that are useful for bees, which together with water will improve the quality of urban life,” he says.
Before the climate summit to be held in Madrid in December, Smaghe asks “to protect bee biodiversity and their pollination ability, which are crucial for the planet”, in addition to supporting national environmental improvement plans that have already begun in several European countries .
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