How worried should we be about insect decline in the UK? MPs to quiz expert scientists on latest evidence
The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will question leading experts on the health of the UK’s insect populations, in the first hearing of the insect decline and UK food security inquiry.
Several international studies have sparked concern that insect numbers and diversity are in decline globally, threatening natural processes important in food production. However, there has been criticism on the robustness of the findings. Declines in the numbers or distribution of insects such as bees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths and beetles have been documented in the UK, but significant uncertainty remains around the scale of the problem and the impact on ecological processes.
Meeting details
MPs will examine the latest evidence for insect decline in the UK, the key drivers of insect loss, and the potential impacts on food security and the environment.
In the first panel, MPs will explore the role insects play in the ecosystem, including pollination, decomposition, pest and weed control. The second panel will focus on interpreting insect decline data and the third panel will hear from large-scale research projects monitoring insect numbers in the UK.