A renowned zoologist has warned that farmers may be tempted to apply insecticides on all of their crops due to the low price of many popular chemical substances.
Prof Dr Randolf Menzel from the Free University of Berlin expressed concerns that such measures would have devastating effects on biodiversity.
The potentially negative aspects of pesticides have been heatedly debated for many years.
While environmentalists say their application seriously harms bees and numerous other insects, biotechnology enterprises and many farmers dismissed such claims as inaccurate.
Prof Menzel emphasised he was especially worried about the low price many pesticides were being sold at. The researcher and book author said this could mean agricultural enterprises would generously apply them instead of opting for a more balanced policy.
The expert from the Free University of Berlin also urged shoppers to change their mentality. He argued: “Customers have to be willing to pay more for organic agricultural products.”
Bees are indispensable pollinators. Their activity is of great importance for local ecosystems and agricultural food production.
The western honeybee may be the best-known type of bee. However, entomologists believe Central Europe is the natural habitat of up to 700 further bee species.
