Without them, most of our crops would fail since about three-quarters of all flowering plants are pollinated by insects. In addition, insects are at the bottom of the food web, eaten by birds, mammals and fish. If insect populations decline, everything else will as well. Currently, over 40% of insect species are threatened with extinction due to intensive agriculture, insecticides, and pesticides. Although the cultivated area of cotton covers only 3% of the planet’s agricultural land, it uses 16% of all insecticides and 7% of all pesticides. Whilst some have been banned and replaced, many insecticides can kill or harm a broad spectrum of insects, including those that pollinate crops.