Researchers warn how a looming “insect apocalypse” will remove healthy foods from global diets (food ingredients first) 

Food Ingredients First reports on the new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives that explores the relationship between pollination and healthy diets.

Health effects from global environmental changes are most eminent in the world’s poorest populations, such as South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the study showed that the most considerable burden fell on middle-income countries with large populations, such as China, India, Indonesia, and Russia.

“The results might seem surprising, but they reflect the complex dynamics of factors behind food systems and human populations worldwide. Only with this type of interdisciplinary modeling can we get a better fix on the magnitude and impact of the problem,” says Timothy Sulser, co-author and senior scientist at the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Beyond protecting environmental health, human health and the economy are crucial factors. Matthey Smith, the lead study author and research scientist at the Department of Environmental Health, concludes that this study shows that doing too little to help pollinators harms not only nature but also threatens human health.