As scientists warn of a global “insect apocalypse,” the rapid loss of insect species is raising alarms about long-term impacts on the fresh produce industry. For commercial specialty crop growers, this decline extends beyond the well-documented struggles of the European honeybee. According to Emily Heffernan, entomologist and dean of the Falk School of Sustainability and Environment at Chatham University, the ongoing loss of insect biomass and species diversity directly threatens the livelihoods of farmers and the stability of the food supply chain.
The fresh produce sector is uniquely vulnerable to these changes. Heffernan notes that a vast array of high-value specialty crops depends directly on diverse insect populations for survival.
“For specialty crops, you know, apples, blueberries, cherries, cucumbers, pumpkin, squash, watermelon, peaches, cranberries, coffee — I think breakfast would be dreadful if it weren’t for all of our insect pollinators,” Heffernan says. “Some people don’t realize avocados are also pollinated by insects, so there are small wasps that do that. Cocoa, sunflowers, tomatoes are bumblebee-pollinated.”
The loss of these populations poses a severe risk to human nutrition and agricultural economics. Approximately 1 out of every 3 bites of food consumed relies on insect pollination, she says.
“If we lose these insects and pollinators, we lose a variety of our most nutritious and healthy foods,” Heffernan says. “The interesting thing about the end, the loss of insects, it would greatly reduce our diet; it would greatly reduce farmers’ livelihoods.”
Beyond pollination, insects provide critical, hidden financial benefits directly to the field through ecosystem services. These free contributions include soil aeration, nutrient cycling and natural pest suppression.
While the data surrounding global declines can feel overwhelming, growers have immediate, practical tools to foster insect resiliency on their acreage. Heffernan emphasizes that intentional management of pesticide application and the preservation of non-crop borders can yield significant benefits.
“I think one [solution] is having a lot of cognizance and knowledge about your own pesticide usage,” says Heffernan, who advocates for precise timing and threshold-based applications rather than routine spraying. “Knowing the kinds of pesticides that you need to use to kind of keep your economic injury threshold down, don’t just spray pesticides because it’s what you’ve always done or what all your neighbors do, but really only spraying or only using pesticides when your insect buildup is occurring.”
Additionally, dedicating small portions of land to native vegetation acts as a vital sanctuary for beneficial species. Even minor adjustments to edge-to-edge farming practices can help maintain the natural predatory cycles necessary for crop protection.
“If you can leave rows for basically a refuge or breeding ground for things like the wasps that are going out and killing your pests, or [for] other native pollinators, that can have great benefit,” Heffernan says. “It can feel like doom and gloom, but there are small things people can do — and especially your folks — that have major impacts. If we can be sensitive and careful about pesticide type and timing, and then plant some refuge areas of weeds or allow some things to grow up, that can have a really good impact.”
