Insects, Soil & Plants

Rhinos, polar bears and tigers may be the focus of most headlines about species loss, but did you know that many insects, plants and microscopic life forms are also facing extinction?

While many remain unknown or misunderstood, they are actually crucial to our existence:

  • Plants are the foundations of virtually all land-based ecosystems - for forests, grasslands and even deserts.
  • Microorganisms are crucial to making soil fertile; without them, plants wouldn’t be able to grow.
  • Insects help to pollinate plants that provide food for people and wildlife - 3 out of 4 food crops depend, at least in part, on them.

Sadly, these little known heroes are in decline. But what’s causing this? Keep scrolling to find out.

The little things that run the world

When we clear land for growing crops, too often we overload it with it with fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals that strip it of the nutrients and microorganisms needed to sustain soil biodiversity.

Without the support of healthy soil, many plants and insects struggle to thrive.