Pollinators: Key to Pakistan's Agricultural Security

Bees, butterflies, bats, and other pollinators form the invisible backbone of global food systems and ecosystems. Yet in Pakistan, where agriculture contributes 19.2% of GDP (World Bank, 2023) and employs 37.4% of the workforce (Pakistan Economic Survey, 2023), pollinator populations are collapsing at an alarming rate. This crisis threatens not just honey production but the very foundation of food security and biodiversity.

Pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of nearly 75% of all food crops globally, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and oilseeds (IPBES, 2023). In Pakistan, their decline has already had visible impacts. Studies by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC, 2023) show a 40% loss in wild bee populations since 2000. This drop correlates with significant reductions in fruit yields, up to 30% in mango and apple orchards that lack sufficient pollinator presence (University of Peshawar, 2023). This has cascading effects on farmer incomes, rural livelihoods, and national food supply chains.

Multiple stressors are driving pollinator decline in Pakistan: widespread pesticide misuse, monoculture cropping systems, habitat destruction due to urban sprawl, and climate change. The increasing frequency of heatwaves and erratic rainfall patterns disrupt pollinator breeding cycles and foraging behavior. Additionally, honeybee colonies, critical for commercial pollination, are being decimated by parasites like Varroa mites and diseases exacerbated by poor beekeeping practices.

Despite these challenges, Pakistan’s policy and research response remains fragmented. While some provinces have initiated pollinator-friendly farming trials and agroforestry projects, there is no national strategy to protect or regenerate pollinator habitats. To reverse the trend, urgent measures are needed: reducing pesticide use through integrated pest management, preserving wildflower corridors, incentivizing organic farming, and training farmers in pollinator-friendly practices. Given the stakes for food security, climate resilience, and rural economies, safeguarding pollinators must become a core priority in Pakistan’s agricultural and environmental policy frameworks.

The Economic and Ecological Value of Pollinators

Pollinators are vital to both the ecological health and economic productivity of Pakistan’s agricultural sector. Their role in ensuring food security and crop profitability cannot be overstated, especially in a country where over 37% of the workforce is employed in agriculture and the sector contributes nearly one-fifth of the GDP. A growing body of national and international research confirms that the decline of pollinator populations would directly undermine the productivity of key crops that sustain both the rural economy and household nutrition.

In Pakistan, the contribution of pollinators is most visible in high-value crops. For example, bee pollination increases cotton boll weight by 18%, resulting in higher fiber quality and yield, which is crucial for the country’s textile exports (Punjab Agriculture Department, 2023). Mango orchards in Sindh experience a 35% increase in yield and up to 50% improvement in fruit quality when pollinators are active, directly influencing export revenue and farmer income (Sindh Horticulture Report, 2023). Similarly, canola, an increasingly important oilseed crop in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sees a 40% production boost with sufficient pollinator activity (KP Agriculture Statistics, 2023).

Beyond economic gains, pollinators underpin human nutrition. According to the National Nutrition Survey (2023), pollinator-dependent crops supply 84% of vitamin C sources and 72% of iron-rich foods consumed in the average Pakistani diet. Without pollinators, access to nutrient-dense foods like citrus, leafy greens, and legumes would sharply decline, exacerbating the country’s already high rates of micronutrient deficiency, anemia, and childhood stunting.

Pollinators, therefore, represent a dual-value asset, boosting crop productivity and ensuring the availability of nutrient-rich foods. Their preservation is not just an ecological imperative but a socio-economic necessity for a food-insecure and climate-vulnerable country like Pakistan. Investing in pollinator-friendly agricultural practices is critical for long-term sustainability and human development.

Drivers of Pollinator Decline

The alarming decline of pollinator populations in Pakistan is the result of multiple, interlinked environmental and policy drivers that jeopardize agricultural productivity, biodiversity, and food security. One of the most prominent causes is the widespread overuse of harmful pesticides, especially neonicotinoids. Since 2015, the use of these chemicals has surged by over 300% in Punjab alone (EPA Punjab, 2023). A recent PCSIR lab study found that 72% of honey samples tested contained harmful pesticide residues, directly threatening bee health and pollination efficacy.

Another major driver is habitat destruction. Urban expansion has led to the elimination of 35% of natural pollinator habitats since 2000 (WWF-Pakistan, 2023). Simultaneously, the dominance of monoculture farming practices, particularly in Punjab, has reduced floral diversity by 60%, depriving pollinators of the diverse foraging resources they need to survive (UAF Study, 2023). Climate change compounds these threats. Shifting flowering periods by 2–3 weeks disrupts the synchrony between pollinators and plants (PMD Climate Report, 2023), while extreme heat events, like the 2022 heatwave, caused a 50% mortality rate among bee colonies (Beekeepers Association, 2023).

The effects are evident in regional case studies. In Punjab’s cotton belt, native bee populations have plummeted by 70%, resulting in $47 million in annual agricultural losses (PARC, 2023). In Swat Valley, fruit orchards show 30% lower fruit set in pollinator-deficient areas, and 60% of farmers have reported declining yields (UoP & Swat Agri Survey, 2023).

Despite the scale of the crisis, policy responses remain fragmented and inadequate. There are no national pollinator protection laws, and only 12% of pesticides in use are properly regulated (EPA Report, 2023). Research infrastructure is weak: only three universities across Pakistan conduct dedicated pollinator research, and there is no national monitoring framework (HEC Report, 2023).

Nonetheless, promising solutions exist. Farmer education initiatives, such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training, have already reduced pesticide use by 45% in pilot programs (FAO, 2023). Planting flowering borders around crops increased yields by 22% in Sindh (Sindh Agri Project, 2023). Policy measures modeled after the EU, like banning five high-risk pesticides and offering tax incentives to pollinator-friendly farms, could accelerate change. Urban beekeeping in 12 cities and pollinator garden programs in schools are already raising awareness and building grassroots resilience. Reversing pollinator decline will require systemic, multi-sectoral commitment, but the tools are already within reach.

Conclusion

Pollinators are more than just ecological allies; they are keystones of Pakistan’s agricultural and nutritional security. As this article demonstrates, the dramatic collapse of pollinator populations threatens both the economic viability of key crops and the nutritional well-being of millions. Without bees, butterflies, and other vital species, fruit yields will continue to drop, soil health will degrade, and nutrient-rich foods will become scarce, compounding the country’s food insecurity and public health burdens.

The causes of pollinator decline, pesticide overuse, habitat destruction, monocultures, and climate change, are well documented and increasingly urgent. Their effects are already visible across cotton fields in Punjab and fruit orchards in Swat, where lower yields and biodiversity loss are undermining farmer livelihoods and national food chains. Yet despite this, Pakistan lacks a national strategy for pollinator protection. Regulatory gaps, poor research investment, and fragmented policy responses have left a critical ecological pillar dangerously exposed.

Solutions do exist. From training farmers in Integrated Pest Management to incentivizing pollinator-friendly farming and restoring wildflower habitats, Pakistan can act now to halt and reverse pollinator decline. The country must integrate pollinator conservation into agricultural, environmental, and climate resilience policies. Protecting pollinators is not optional, it is essential to safeguarding Pakistan’s ecosystems, rural economies, and future food systems.

References: World Bank; PARC;IPBES; Punjab Agriculture Department Data; WWF-Pakistan Habitat Study; FAO Pakistan Program Reports; Pakistan Economic Survey; University of Peshawar; KP Agriculture Statistics; National Nutrition Survey; EPA Punjab; UAF Study; PMD Climate Report; Beekeepers Association; UoP & Swat Agri Survey; HEC Report

Please note that the views expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of any organization.

The writer is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Agriculture & Agribusiness Management, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan and can be reached at shah.aziz@uok.edu.pk

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