Honey bees are largely responsible for about a third of the global pollination of farm output. Needless to say, the honey bee is a valued component in food security. But since 2006, there has been a steep decline in bee colonies that have gone under the public radar up until recently. So what sparked the Media’s sudden interest?
Robobank, an international financial group focused on food and agriculture, has recently released a report called, “The plight of the honey bee.” In the report, the honey bee colonies’ importance to global agriculture is examined. What the report’s statistics find is a disturbing decrease in honey bees and an steady increase in the risks of global food security.
According to Ruben Verwijs of Raboban’s Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory, “A loss rate of 10 percent of a bee colony is considered normal. In the U.S. the rate of bee colonies not surviving the winter has been between 30 and 35 percent, with the worst-hit beekeepers losing up to 90 percent of their hives.” These statistics, faced with the knowledge that animal pollination is responsible for melons, berries, apples, citrus, nuts and cocoa, (along with others) has the attention of not only the U.S., but the world.
The Telegraph reports an all time-high for UN’s index of food prices. Telegraph also reports China’s impact of the loss of bees. In the 1980s, pesticides used in pear orchards wiped out bee colonies and now are the reason why crops in parts of Sichuan, China, are pollinated by hand. Also according to the article, Germany, France and Italy have banned various pesticides in lieu of following China’s hand pollination process.
Verwijs continues his analysis in the report by saying, “In emerging economies like China and Brazil, consumers can afford to move away from staple crops like corn, wheat and rice, which do not rely on animal pollination, to include more fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet. If honey bee colonies continue to decline as demand for these crops rises, we could face a global issue with a considerable economic impact.”
As for what’s being done to solve the plight of the honey bee, the Rabobank report calls for cooperation between the academic world, the government bodies, beekeepers and companies directly dependent on animal pollination such as farmers and food processors.
The British Beekeepers' Association has even taken note of the report and called for an "urgent review" of pesticides. US beekeepers, since the release of the report, have made similar pleas for the U.S. government to review the production of potential harmful chemicals used in agriculture. Although the report specifies there is no clear explanation of the decline in honey bee colonies as of yet, for Verwijs, one thing is certain: “pollination can no longer be taken for granted as a production factor in the agri food chain.”
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This article appears in Feb 10-16, 2011.