Climate and big agriculture are slashing insect populations ‘by half’

A bee searching for pollen on a flower. The 'Nature' study says habitat loss from big agriculture and climate change are combining to threaten the world's insects, without which global agriculture could break down. — AP

A warming world and intensive agriculture are causing insect populations to plummet by nearly half compared with areas less affected by temperature rises and industrial farming, researchers said on April 20, 2022.

The researchers measured both insect abundance and number of species in areas across the world and compared that with insects in more pristine habitats.