This is a segment of episode #194 of Last Born In The Wilderness “Insect Apocalypse: Drivers Of The Worldwide Decline Of Entomofauna w/ Francisco Sánchez-Bayo.” Listen to the full episode: http://bit.ly/LBWsanchezbayo

Read the survey ‘Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers’ here: http://bit.ly/2PVS1U6

In this segment with Environmental Scientist and Ecologist Francisco Sánchez-Bayo, we discuss the drivers that are causing the severe loss of biodiversity for insects around the world, directly related to chemical-intensive monoculture agricultural practices, as examined in the scientific survey ‘Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers,’ co-authored with Kris Wyckhuys. The survey reviews dozens of contemporary research from around the world that has documented the rapid decline of global insect populations, indicating that most species of insects are likely to go extinct by the end of the century. Deforestation and the intensive use of insecticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers has led to a catastrophic decline of global insect populations — in particular pollinators, which are fundamental for the survival of crops and plant life in general. As agricultural land conversion continues unabated around the world, especially in the most biodiverse regions on the planet, we will continue to see wide-ranging damage to ecosystems, with 10% of insects having gone extinct over the past several decades. “Over the past 30 years, the total mass of all insects dropped an average of 2.5 per cent annually. The “dramatic” fall suggest none will be left in 100 years.” (https://ind.pn/2vLMHtx) As Francisco expresses in this interview, we need to radically transform how we produce and consume food on this planet, not only as a means to move away from the use of ecologically destructive chemicals, but to “allow the recovery of declining insect populations and safeguard the vital ecosystem services they provide.” (http://bit.ly/2PVS1U6)

Francisco Sánchez-Bayo is an ecotoxicologist and terrestrial ecologist, with a focus on risk assessment of pesticide contaminants on organisms, particularly on birds and aquatic ecosystems, and fate and transport of neonicotinoids and other agricultural chemicals in the environment. He is a former researcher at the University of Sydney, and currently works for the Department of Environment and Energy of Australia.

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