Contribution of animal pollination to food nutrient production in Benin-West Africa

Abstract

Background Pollinators play a key role in human food production by improving the yield and quality of crops. Several studies assessed the economic value of pollination services delivered by animals through yield improvement. However, little is known about the contribution of animal pollinators to nutrient production. This study assessed the contribution of animal pollination to nutrient production in Benin. Food and Agriculture Organization data on crop production and United States Department of Agriculture crop composition data of 37 leading crops were used. These crops were categorized into five classes, depending on their degree of dependence on animal pollinators for fruit production. Results The study showed that more than half of the studied crops (56.75%) relies at different levels on animal pollination for fruit production. Minerals, namely fluoride (83.92%) and selenium (52.62%), were the most delivered by animal-pollinated crops. Roughly 50% of lipids outputs and 24% of proteins outputs were obtained from pollinator-dependent crops. Significant outputs of fat-soluble vitamins up to 65% were also attributed to animal pollination. A low contribution of animal pollination (up to 8%) was reported for water-soluble vitamins. Conclusion Animal-pollinated crops significantly contribute to the supply of nutrients and consequently to nutritional and food security in Benin. Conservation of pollinators should be considered as an important component of food security programs in the country.

Dependency of Crops on Pollinators and Pollination Deficits: An Approach to Measurement Considering the Influence of Various Reproductive Traits

“…Other crops having bisexual flowers are also partially dependent on biotic pollinators. In addition to the total mass of production, the nutritional contribution (in terms of proteins, vitamins and minerals content) of many animal-pollinated crops may be an important factor in human diets [31][32][33]. To support this point, Gallai et al [34] reported that the value of a ton of pollinator-dependent crops was about five times larger than that of non-dependent crops.…”