Textbox: Bats and Pollinator Conservation as a New Avenue for Progressive Food Legislation

Abstract

More than 450 important agricultural bat-dependent plants annually affect hundreds of millions of dollars of international trade. Such economically important bat-dependent plants include bananas, mangoes, vanilla, agave, cashews, dates and figs. Bats facilitate the reproductive success of these agricultural plants, including seed set and the recruitment of new seedlings and saplings.

Pollinator conservation policy provides a new avenue for progressive food legislation. The worldwide role of bats in the context of their respective agricultural services and the need for conservation through international trade laws is crucial for the understanding of pollinator regulation—or the lack thereof. This textbox provides an introduction to the links between bat conservation and food law.