Nearly a quarter of Europe's bumblebee species could become extinct, according to a recent study examining all of the 68 bumblebee species that occur in Europe. The study, which is part of the Status and Trends of European Pollinators (STEP) project and the European Red List of pollinators, both funded by the European Commission, stresses that habitat destruction, pesticide contamination, agricultural intensification and climate change threaten Europe’s bumblebees. As much as 46% of bumblebee species in Europe have a declining population, 24% face extinction. “We are very concerned with these findings. Such a high proportion of threatened bumblebees can have serious implications for our food production,” said Ana Nieto, coordinator of the study and European Biodiversity Officer of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Three of the five most important insect pollinators of European crops are bumblebee species. Together with other pollinators, bumblebees contribute more than 22 billion Euros to European agriculture per year. According to IUCN, protecting bumblebee species and habitats, restoring degraded ecosystems and promoting biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices will be essential to reverse the negative trends in European bumblebee populations.