Insect decline and UK food security – Report Summary

Summary

Insects contribute to food production through pollination services, manging crop pests, maintaining soil health and recycling nutrients from waste. However, there is a concerning trend of decreasing insect abundance, changes in distribution and reduction in the diversity of insect species in the UK. While there is variation among species and groups, overall, there is a downward trend and the consensus among experts is that in the UK insects are in decline.

It is challenging to quantify insect decline as there is little evidence available for many insect groups about population changes over long periods of time. This Inquiry heard from experts running some of the long-term insect monitoring studies, for example the Rothamsted Insect Survey which has been running since 1964. These long-term studies are vital to further our understanding, monitor population changes, and should be supported with assured long-term commitments from funding bodies over a period of decades rather than years.

Pollinators play a crucial role in ensuring UK food security, but it is important to recognise that insects and invertebrates play more than this one role in supporting food production. Diverse species of insects and other invertebrates are essential for the health of both our natural and agricultural environments, and their populations require careful nurturing and maintenance to support sustainable and resilient food production. There is scope to build on the success of the National Pollinator Strategy by creating a complementary ‘National Invertebrate Strategy’ that would include provisions for invertebrates that carry out other important ecological roles. As seen in the creation of the National Pollinator Strategy, a National Invertebrate Strategy should include the publication of an implementation plan, containing targets against which progress can be measured and accountability ensured.

The statutory targets to halt and reverse species extinctions and decline in abundance by 2042, in accordance with the Environment Act 2021, are ambitious and welcome. However, the exclusion of numerous invertebrate species and in some cases entire groups, particularly those vital for UK food security such as predatory beetles, from the baseline measures used to monitor progress in achieving the aims, is concerning. As well as the ‘Red List’ of particular species at a specified risk of extinction, we recommend that a ‘Baseline List’ should be established, consisting of a wider range of insects and other invertebrates. This would allow a wider view of progress against biodiversity targets during the years ahead and would aid an understanding of trends in biodiversity beyond those species currently endangered.

Public interest in insects often focuses on what scientists term “charismatic” groups like bees and butterflies, but less known, harder-to-identify, and, to many people, unappealing insect species play vital ecological roles and require equal attention. We heard evidence that naturalist skills are declining in the UK. Much knowledge of smaller, lesser-known insect groups lies, as it always has done, with amateurs rather than professional academics. Interest in all insects should be nurtured from a young age, requiring access to nature and the fostering of ecological knowledge and interest, something the anticipated Natural History GCSE aims to address. Access to this GCSE, once available, is important and welcome, as it can go some way to nurture a passion for entomology in younger generations.

In the UK, 70% of land is farmed, so agricultural practices have a major influence on insect populations. Pesticides used to target pest species such as aphids can have off-target effects on beneficial insects. The impact of pesticides and other chemical inputs on insect species that are not pollinators remains too little understood due to the lack of data on pesticide accumulation in terrestrial environments. The UK has made international commitments to reducing the overall risk caused by pesticides by at least half by 2030. However, the National Action Plan for Sustainable Pesticide Use, a crucial policy to address both knowledge gaps and encourage reductions in pesticide usage, has been delayed by six-years.

The new Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) support land managers in providing environmental goods and services alongside food production. The impact of ELMS on the natural environment, including insect species, should be monitored and adapted as needed throughout its implementation. ELMS must show that it delivers better environmental outcomes than previous agri-environmental schemes. This will require close monitoring, coupled with feedback from farmers and land managers, to give a more comprehensive overview of the individual and collective effects of ELMS implementation on our natural environment.

In agricultural use, most witnesses to our Inquiry did not see the prospect of insecticides being phased out entirely. But in domestic gardens, questions of food security do not arise. The Royal Horticultural Society plans for its garden at Wisley to be 100% pesticide-free by 2025, with the exception of use for specific cases of invasive species. We believe that there is an opportunity to work with leading organisations like the RHS to phase down the use of pesticides in domestic horticulture.