It is relatively easy to experimentally measure the contribution of  
specific pollinators to fruit or seed set, weight, quality.  It is  
much harder to model and understand the actual contribution of various  
pollinators in the real world given the varied patchwork of  
agricultural (and natural) systems.

The repeated simplified statements suggesting that there are wolves at  
the door of every home waiting to take every third bite out of our  
mouths are incorrect at many levels.  One economic complexity is often  
overlooked.  Many of the crops that benefit the most from pollination  
are food items that tend to be luxuries or discretionary.  In economic  
terms their demand is elastic.  Were their prices to rise due to the  
cost of pollination or decreased production from lack of pollination  
consumers would choose not to take that bite.

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