Unraveling pesticide impacts on pollinators: a global challenge for sustainable crop protection.

Pollinators are essential for global food production, contributing to seed set, fruit quality and overall crop yield. Pollinators like bees, butterflies, birds and bats pollinate 75% of cultivated plants and influence 35% of global crop production. However, the increasing use of pesticides in agriculture poses significant threats to pollinator populations, leading to potential declines in crop productivity. This review explores the role of key pollinators in agricultural landscapes and their contributions to food security. The negative impacts of pesticide exposure, including acute toxicity, sub lethal effects like impaired foraging, memory loss, weakened immunity, reproductive issues and interactions with stressors like climate change and habitat loss are discussed. The decline of pollinators directly affects crop yields, particularly for pollinator-dependent crops, necessitating farmer compensation mechanisms. To counteract these challenges, alternative floral resources such as flowering weeds and diverse floral landscapes, provide critical support for pollinators. Strategies to enhance pollination services and crop yields include Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management (IPPM), which incorporates biological, cultural and mechanical practices. Additionally, habitat enhancement measures such as diversified farming systems, conservation tillage, flowering strips, buffer zonesand protected nesting sites are essential for pollinator conservation. By integrating sustainable pest management and habitat restoration strategies, agricultural landscapes can support pollinator populations while maintaining high crop productivity. This review highlights the urgent need for pollinator-friendly agricultural practices to mitigate pesticide-related threats, ensuring long-term food security and ecological balance.