Bees are entwined with our lives in more ways than we realize. This WORLD BEE DAY, take a moment to appreciate our foremost pollinators and learn why they are so essential to the planet — and to us.
WORLD BEE DAY is only a few days away! And today we are taking time to spotlight a few of the vital benefits of bees for our planet.
Food
Bees are the world’s single most important group of pollinators. Because of their role in pollination, bees ensure food security and nutrition around the world. Nearly 75% of global good crops used for human consumption depend on pollinators, many of which are bees. In total, bees help pollinate over 130 fruits and vegetables — from apples to cantaloupe, tomatoes to avocados. Look around at your local supermarket and you will be hard pressed to find something not touched by bees — even coffee and chocolate rely on these pollinators.
In the last 50 years, dependency on pollinated crops has increased by 300%, with this number only expected to grow. Annually, the value of global food production dependent on pollination reaches up to $500 billion (US), and only likely to increase. This kind of consumption can’t be sustained if we lose our pollinator communities.
Biodiversity
Because they feed their young pollen and nectar, bees spend longer foraging than any other group of flower pollinators, making them one of the most efficient and essential of all pollinators.
Wherever there are flowering plants, there are bees. Approximately 80% of all flowering plants depend on pollination, which is primarily done by bees. In forest ecosystems, bees pollination aids in improving tree regeneration and conservation, and provides essential components to a forest’s biodiversity and climate change mitigation.
Consumption
Honey is not just a bee by-product. Today, the commercialization of honey extends beyond natural sweeteners into cosmetics as well as medicines. Honeybees, who are the largest group of managed pollinators globally, produce about 1.6 million tons of honey each year. In the United States, the global honey market is estimated to be worth $8 billion (US), with this number projected to increase 50% by 2029.
Needless to say, bees matter. As bees go, these benefits go with them. It’s essential we protect bees to protect our future. Don’t wait for WORLD BEE DAY tomorrow — donate today.
