Did you know it was Slovenia who proposed that the United Nations proclaim 20 May as World Bee Day? It’s the day when Anton Janša who is a pioneer in beekeeping was born.
Bees are essential for the health of people and the planet. A loss of bees would affect world food security and biodiversity. Around 75% of the world’s food crops produce better yields if animals help them pollinate. Of all animals, bees are the most dominant pollinators of both wild and crop plants. They also visit over 90% of the world’s top 107 crops.
People have used bees and bee-related products for medicinal purposes for thousands of years when treating a wide variety of conditions. Beeswax, for instance, is one important product that people use for multiple purposes including waterproofing, fuel, skincare products, etc. Additionally, pharmaceutical industries also use it in ointments. Bees are also important in terms of sustainable agriculture and creating rural jobs. By pollinating, they increase agricultural production, thus maintaining diversity and variety in our fields and on our plates. In addition, they provide millions of people with jobs and are an important source of farmers’ income. They support forest regeneration, and promote sustainability and adaptation to climate change.
However, bees are under threat. Present species extinction rates are 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal due to human impacts. Close to 35 percent of invertebrate pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, and about 17 percent of vertebrate pollinators, such as bats, face extinction globally. Europe’s bumblebee populations decreased by 17 percent between 2000 and 2014. In 2016, the U.S. listed bees as endangered for the first time ever.
If this trend continues, nutritious crops, such as fruits, nuts and many vegetable crops will be substituted increasingly by staple crops like rice, corn and potatoes. It’ll not only affect world food security but will disrupt our eco-systems which will, in simple terms, affect human survival on Earth.
Here’s how we can help:
- Trees, flowers, and shrubs provide bees’ only source of food: pollen and nectar. Cultivating a wide variety of flowers and herbs can help to attract bees and provide them with supple nourishment.
- Support local farmers by buying raw honey from them.
- Avoid pesticides, fungicides or herbicides in our gardens. Instead, opt for bee-friendly, natural alternatives. A number of plants—such as chrysanthemums, lavender, and lemongrass—help repel pesky pests without causing harm to bees.
- Protect wild bee colonies when possible.
- Sponsor a hive.
- Make a bee water fountain by leaving a water bowl outside.
- Raise awareness around us by sharing this information within our communities and networks.
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