Pollinators play a crucial role in global crop production, enhancing crop yields, nutritional value and fruit quality. However, their wild populations worldwide have been experiencing alarming declines. We investigated the contribution of wild pollinators to nutrition and farmer income in Canada, while examining the spatial distribution of pollination services. We used publicly available data on crop types, yields, nutrient content, and farm gate values, alongside information on natural habitats. Our findings suggest that wild pollinators in Canada help sustain the equivalent of approximately 24.4 million people each year in terms of nutrition and generate an annual income of nearly CAD$2.8 billion for farmers. To provide context, these estimates exceed half of the Canadian population and correspond to 5% of total national crop-related farm income. However, significant benefit gaps exist due to the lack of nearby pollinator habitat and insufficient pollination of dependent crops at a national scale. Addressing these gaps could potentially provide an additional nutrition supply for nearly 30 million equivalent people and increase farmer income by CAD$3 billion. We discuss how and where efforts focused on preserving and enhancing wild pollinator habitats, promoting sustainable farming practices, and raising awareness among stakeholders are crucial for the long-term viability of wild pollinator populations and the sustainability of agricultural systems in Canada. Our research underscores the urgent need for a national strategy aimed at safeguarding wild pollinators. Implementing such a strategy would not only contribute to strengthening local economies but also ensure the production of nutritionally essential food.

中文翻译：

---

揭示野生授粉媒介在营养和收入方面的好处和差距

传粉媒介在全球作物生产、提高作物产量、营养价值和水果质量方面发挥着至关重要的作用。然而，它们在世界范围内的野生种群数量一直在经历惊人的下降。我们调查了野生授粉昆虫对加拿大营养和农民收入的贡献，同时研究了授粉服务的空间分布。我们使用了有关作物类型、产量、养分含量和农场门值的公开数据，以及有关自然栖息地的信息。我们的研究结果表明，加拿大的野生授粉媒介每年帮助维持约 2,440 万人的营养，并为农民创造近 28 亿加元的年收入。为了提供背景信息，这些估计超过了加拿大人口的一半，相当于全国农作物相关农业总收入的 5%。然而，由于附近缺乏传粉媒介栖息地以及全国范围内依赖作物的授粉不足，存在显着的效益差距。解决这些缺口可能会为近 3000 万同等人口提供额外的营养供应，并使农民收入增加 30 亿加元。我们讨论如何以及在何处重点保护和加强野生授粉媒介栖息地、促进可持续农业实践以及提高利益相关者的认识对于加拿大野生授粉媒介种群的长期生存和农业系统的可持续性至关重要。我们的研究强调迫切需要制定旨在保护野生授粉媒介的国家战略。实施这样的战略不仅有助于加强当地经济，而且还能确保营养必需食品的生产。