Beyond bees: A cross-country investigation into public perceptions of insect-mediated crop-pollination services

Abstract

The conservation of biodiversity hinges on the value humans place upon it. However, knowledge of how ordinary people perceive and value biodiversity remains limited. To address this gap, we conducted a multinational survey assessing people's perceptions of crop-pollination services provided by insects, one of the most economically significant ecosystem services provided by biodiversity. We administered a questionnaire in eight countries (Australia, Japan, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, and the United States) and investigated the perceived significance of crop-pollination services delivered by nine major groups of insects. We also estimated the actual economic contributions of crop-pollination services provided by each insect group by conducting a literature review and database analysis. We found large variations in perceived importance of insects' role in crop pollination among the eight countries, with recognition generally lower in more economically developed nations. Differences in perception levels were evident among the insect groups: insects estimated to have greater economic benefits through crop pollination tended to be identified as more important by respondents. However, the perceived contributions of insects favoured by people often exceeded their estimated actual economic importance. Conversely, the contributions of less-favoured insects such as flies and bugs to crop pollination were consistently underestimated. Our results underscore the existence of a gap between the actual value biodiversity provides and how people perceive it. Addressing this gap seems critically important, as it can lead to ineffective conservation efforts.