【#Tech24H】Over the past 30 years, the global insect population has been declining at a staggering rate of about 1% per year. This decline is so dramatic that scientists have dubbed it the “Insect Apocalypse”. They warn that the impending insect mass extinction will have severe consequencs for both the ecological environment and human society. The ongoing reduction in insect numbers is already causing cascading damage across multiple fronts, from ecosystem functioning to crop yields. Many crops rely heavily on insect pollination, and the disappearance of insects directly threatens global food security. It is estimated that about two billion people worldwide depend on smallholder farming of this kind, and threequarters of the world’s crops require insect pollination to thrive. Cash crops such as coffee, almonds, and chocolate are entirely dependent on pollinating insects.  [ By Zhang Liyan | Tang Ruohan ]