Editing Pollinator decline (section)

=== Possible nutritional consequences ===
{{Main|Vitamin A deficiency}}

A 2015 study looked at the nutritional consequences of pollinator decline. It investigated if four [[third world]] populations might in the future potentially be at possible risk of malnutrition, assuming humans did not change their diet or have access to supplements, but concluded that this cannot be reliably predicted. According to their model, the size of the effect that pollinator decline had on a population depends on the local diet, and vitamin A is the most likely nutrient to become deficient, as it is already deficient.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Ellis|first1=Alicia M.|last2=Myers|first2=Samuel S.|last3=Ricketts|first3=Taylor H.|date=2015-01-09|title=Do Pollinators Contribute to Nutritional Health?|journal=PLOS ONE|language=en|volume=10|issue=1|pages=e114805|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0114805|pmid=25575027|pmc=4289064|issn=1932-6203|bibcode=2015PLoSO..10k4805E|doi-access=free}}</ref>

More studies also identified vitamin A as the most pollinator-dependent nutrient.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Chaplin-Kramer|first1=Rebecca|last2=Dombeck|first2=Emily|last3=Gerber|first3=James|last4=Knuth|first4=Katherine A.|last5=Mueller|first5=Nathaniel D.|last6=Mueller|first6=Megan|last7=Ziv|first7=Guy|last8=Klein|first8=Alexandra-Maria|date=2014|title=Global malnutrition overlaps with pollinator-dependent micronutrient production|jstor=43601745|journal=Proceedings: Biological Sciences|volume=281|issue=1794|pages=20141799|doi=10.1098/rspb.2014.1799|pmid=25232140|pmc=4211458}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last1=Eilers|first1=Elisabeth J.|last2=Kremen|first2=Claire|last3=Greenleaf|first3=Sarah Smith|last4=Garber|first4=Andrea K.|last5=Klein|first5=Alexandra-Maria|date=2011-06-22|title=Contribution of Pollinator-Mediated Crops to Nutrients in the Human Food Supply|journal=PLOS ONE|language=en|volume=6|issue=6|pages=e21363|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0021363|pmid=21731717|pmc=3120884|issn=1932-6203|bibcode=2011PLoSO...621363E|doi-access=free}}</ref> Another 2015 study also modeled what would happen should 100% of pollinators die off. In that scenario, 71 million people in low-income countries would become deficient in vitamin A, and the vitamin A intake of 2.2 billion people who are already consuming less than the recommended amount would further decline. Similarly, 173 million people would become deficient in folate, and 1.23 million people would further lessen their intake. Additionally, the global fruit supply would decrease by 22.9%, the global vegetable supply would decrease by 16.3%, and the global supply of nuts and seeds would decrease by 22.1%. This would lead to 1.42 million additional deaths each year from diseases, as well as 27 million disability-adjusted life years. In a less extreme scenario wherein only 50% of pollinators die off, 700,000 additional deaths would occur each year, as well as 13.2 million disability-adjusted years.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2015-11-14|title=Effects of decreases of animal pollinators on human nutrition and global health: a modelling analysis|journal=The Lancet|language=en|volume=386|issue=10007|pages=1964–1972|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(15)61085-6|pmid=26188748|issn=0140-6736|last1=Smith|first1=Matthew R.|last2=Singh|first2=Gitanjali M.|last3=Mozaffarian|first3=Dariush|last4=Myers|first4=Samuel S.|s2cid=12623217|doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[File:Melon plant.jpg|alt=This a picture of a melon plant. Melon plants are crops requiring a pollinator and a good source of vitamin A|thumb|A melon plant, a crop requiring a pollinator and a good source of vitamin A]]

One study estimated that 70% of dietary vitamin A worldwide is found in crops that are animal pollinated, as well as 55% of [[folate]]. At present, eating plants which are pollinated by animals is responsible for only 9%, 20%, and 29% of calcium, fluoride, and iron intake, respectively, with most coming from meat and dairy. 74% of all globally produced lipids are found in oils from plants that are animal pollinated, as well as 98% of vitamin C.<ref name=":3" />