According to e360.yale.edu, in a successful harvest, one in three bites of food depend on pollinators. Pollinators are organisms such as bees, birds and the wind. Recently, these pollinators, specifically the bees, have suffered from “loss of habitat, chemical misuse, introduced and invasive plant and animal species, and diseases and parasites,” according to pollinator.org.

These challenges have led to a decrease in the bee population. Prolonged, this will not only affect the production of fruits and vegetables, but also beef and dairy according to modernfarmer.com.

Various agricultural industries, such as almond production, puts bees’ lives at risk. This is because almonds flower in the winter and in areas where land is used to develop a single crop make it incredibly difficult for bees to have a year-long source of food. This type of farming is called monoculture.

More and more, farmers rely on commercial bees which are brought from one crop to another as a way to increase production. While this may help crops, smithsonianmag.com states it kills wild bees. This is because the commercial bees carry diseases which kill off entire colonies of wild bees.

To counteract this issue, companies such as Whole Foods have started sourcing almonds from orchards that, according to wholefoodsmarket.com, plant a diverse collection of wildflowers to give wild honey bees a year-long source of food.

The issues don’t end there, however. The use of harmful insecticides on Linden trees to protect them from Aphids killed around 50 thousand bumblebees and 300 colonies in Portland, Ore., according to earthjustice.org.

Cases such as this can be found across not only the country, but also the world.

Bees are also not the only species affected by these harmful pesticides and deforestation. According to modernfarmer.com, Monarch butterflies, another pollinator, are close to extinction in the U.S.

The Xerces Society, a non-profit organization protecting wildlife through conservation, however, aims to reverse this by planting 100 thousand acres of pollinator habitat in the next year and a half.

There are ways everyone can help reverse these harmful effects on pollinators. By simply planting a variety of flowers, one can help these organisms maintain a year-round food source. Reducing pesticide use and putting out salt or mineral licks for butterflies will also help, according to pollinator.org.

If nothing else, those who hold voting rights can make their voices heard by voting on conservation issues.