Alien Species Threaten Food Supply, Public Health And Cost $423 Billion

Abstract

Publication: Bloomberg

A groundbreaking report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services warns that invasive alien species—organisms introduced into non-native environments through global trade, travel, and climate change—pose a massive and growing threat to ecosystems, food security, and public health. These species are responsible for at least 60% of recorded plant and animal extinctions and inflicted over $423 billion in annual economic damage as of 2019.

More than 37,000 alien species have been introduced globally, with 3,500 classified as harmful. These include European shore crabs devastating shellfish beds in North America, Caribbean mussels disrupting Indian Ocean ecosystems, and mosquitoes expanding their range to spread diseases like malaria and Zika. The damage is most pronounced on islands, where invasive plants now outnumber native species on a quarter of them.

As global warming and international commerce accelerate, experts urge immediate action: stronger border biosecurity, import regulations, and early detection systems. The report emphasizes the importance of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to reduce invasive species by 50% by 2030.

The threat is global, but the consequences are felt locally—especially by indigenous communities and those reliant on nature for their livelihoods—making it a shared, urgent responsibility.