…We Should Care More About Bees
1. Bees colonies around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate. 2007 saw a shocking 30% of bee colonies disappear due to what some experts are calling Colony Collapse Disorder (or CCD). Nobody currently understands what is causing CCD, but anytime a species’ numbers fall at such a rate, the alarm bells have to go off.
2. Bees play an under-appreciated roll in the production of food, at least to the average person on the street. Beyond supplying us with a spread for our morning toast, farmers are highly reliant on bees as an input factor in key agricultural processes. As Zac Browning, vice president of the American Beekeeping Foundation, points out, “Every third bite we consumer is dependent on a honeybee to pollinate that food.” Manufacturers are worried as well, with Haagen-Dazs (which relies on bees for around 28 of its flavours) recently funding research into CCD and launching www.helpthehoneybees.com.
3. In addition to the role bees play in food production is the significant economic value in which they play a part. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that bees add $15 billion in value to U.S. fruit, nut and berry crops. That’s $15 billion of economic value that is at significant risk if the decline in bees colonies continues.
4. While there currently isn’t a crisis in food production, declining colony numbers, coupled with growing demand and higher input costs, suggests that there is a strong possibility of food inflation in the future. As the USDA notes here, “The cost of hives for pollination has risen this year. But much of that is due to growing demand. Some of the price increase may also be due to higher cost of gas and diesel and other increases related to energy and labor costs. Commercial beekeepers truck hives long distances to provide pollination services, so in particular they must deal with rising expenses.”
5. What would Pooh be without honey?
