The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is pleased to announce that Wei Zhang, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead on Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity in IFPRI’s Natural Resources and Resilience Unit, has been appointed to the prestigious ad hoc study committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). The committee will conduct a consensus study on the status of insects in North America to assess trends in insect abundance, identify research priorities, and recommend actions to slow insect declines in the most vulnerable and ecologically critical areas.
“I’m truly thrilled to join the Committee! Insects—and conserving biodiversity to ensure that beneficial insects that provide vital ecosystem services thrive—have long been a passion of mine,” said Dr. Zhang. She continued, “I began my journey studying ladybeetles, natural predators of soybean aphids that offer the critical and free service of natural pest regulation, for my doctoral dissertation. My friends even fondly nicknamed me ‘Dr. Ladybug’—a title I’ve carried with pride! I look forward to contributing to this important study initiated by NASEM and sharing the knowledge on the subject matter we have accumulated in our work on ecosystem services at IFPRI and CGIAR.”
Insects are essential to the functioning of Earth’s terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. They pollinate more than 90% of flowering plants, serve as a major food source for wildlife, and play key roles in regulating plant and animal populations as well as decomposing organic matter. The study will focus on the status of insects across North America, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.
The study will focus on several critical questions:
- What is the evidence for long-term declines in insect abundance and diversity?
- For populations in decline, where are losses projected to be most severe, which taxa are most at risk, and what human-driven stressors contribute to these declines?
- What have been the actual and potential economic, ecological, and evolutionary consequences of historical declines and what are the projected consequences?
- What research and monitoring priorities should be supported by federal agencies and other stakeholders?
- What actions can be taken to mitigate insect declines and the resulting losses in ecosystem function?
To learn more about the ad hoc committee and view the full list of members, visit the NASEM website.
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The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition. IFPRI’s strategic research aims to identify and analyze alternative international and country-led strategies and policies for meeting food and nutrition needs in low- and middle-income countries, with particular emphasis on poor and vulnerable groups in those countries, inclusive development, and sustainability. It is a research center of CGIAR, a worldwide partnership engaged in agricultural research for development. www.ifpri.org
Media inquiries: Evgeniya Anisimova, e.anisimova@cgiar.org, +1 (202) 627 4394