title: The Dependence of Crops for Pollinators and the Economic Value of Pollination in Brazil.
abstract: Food production is challenged by changes in climate and land use and expanding human population growth. Proper pollination can increase the production and quality of fruit, nut, oil, and fiber crops. We reviewed crop dependence on pollinators and estimated the economic value of pollination per year for each crop in Brazil. We analyzed 141 crops and found that 85 depend on pollinators. Almost one-third of these crops have an essential or great dependence on pollinators. The economic contribution of pollinators totals ∼30% (∼US$12 billion) of the total annual agricultural income of the dependent crops (totalizing almost US$45 billion). However, half of these figures includes soybean crop (US$5.7 billion of pollinators' contribution and US$22 billion of annual income). Soybean was considered as having a modest dependence on pollinators, but this remains controversial because pollinator dependence might vary among different varieties cultivated in Brazil. Moreover, we have no information about pollinator dependence regarding some important crops, showing the urgent need for basic research into reproductive biology and pollination ecology.
authors.affiliation: Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo. Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, Trav. 3, n. 380, 05508-010 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Instituto de Biociências da Universidade de São Paulo. Rua do Matão, Trav. 14, n. 321, 05508-900 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Vale Technological Institute - Sustainable Development. Rua Boaventura da Silva, 955, 66055-090 Belém, Pará, Brazil. giannini@usp.br.
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Giannini
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras da Universidade de São Paulo. Av. Bandeirantes, n. 3900, 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Ceará, Departamento de Zootecnia, Bloco 808, Campus Universitário do Pici, 60356-000 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo. Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, Trav. 3, n. 380, 05508-010 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Saraiva
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biociências da Universidade de São Paulo. Rua do Matão, Trav. 14, n. 321, 05508-900 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Vale Technological Institute - Sustainable Development. Rua Boaventura da Silva, 955, 66055-090 Belém, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Imperatriz-Fonseca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000191:economics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D054817:Pollination; D013025:Glycine max / Q000191:economics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology
keywords: agriculture; bee; ecosystem service; food production