Bee engaged – Build Back Better for Bees

World Bee Day

Ranjan K Baruah

(With direct inputs from UN/FAO publication and feedback may be sent to bkranjan@gmail.com)

Healthy biodiversity is a must if we want a healthy life. Many species have been crucial parts of the biodiversity that has sustained lives on earth. We eat food but most of us do not produce them so we may not link or think about how food items are being grown. We have been studying pollination and its importance and whenever we talk about pollination then the first thing that comes to our mind is bees.

For centuries bees, among the hardest working creatures on the planet, have benefited people, plants and the environment. By carrying pollen from one flower to another, bees and other pollinators enable not only the production of an abundance of fruits, nuts and seeds but also more variety and better quality, contributing to food security and nutrition.

Pollinators affect 35 per cent of the world's crop production, increasing outputs of 87 of the leading food crops worldwide, plus many plant-derived medicines. Three out of four crops across the globe producing fruits or seeds for human use as food depend, at least in part, on pollinators. It is a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems.

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the United Nations designated 20th May as World Bee Day (WBD). The goal is to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators, which would significantly contribute to solving problems related to the global food supply and eliminate hunger in developing countries.

The date for this observance was chosen as it was the day Anton Janša, a pioneer of modern apiculture, was born. Janša came from a family of beekeepers in Slovenia, where beekeeping is an important agricultural activity with a long-standing tradition. This year, WBD falls during an exceptional moment in history, where many countries continue to deal with the widespread effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By observing WBD, we can raise awareness on the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy, and on the many challenges, they face today. The day has been celebrated since 2018 and this year marks the fourth celebration around the world. The fourth observance of World Bee Day will be celebrated - amid a still-ongoing pandemic - with a virtual event organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the occasion focusing on the theme "Bee engaged – Build Back Better for Bees".

Today bees, pollinators, and many other insects are declining in abundance. Present species extinction rates are 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal due to human impacts. Close to 35 per cent of invertebrate pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, and about 17 per cent of vertebrate pollinators, such as bats, face extinction globally.

To achieve all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we need to work actively for the safety of all pollinators. Bees are decking for many causes including change in land use, use of pesticides, enhancing mono-cropping, etc. The Government must encourage beekeepers and extend support to entrepreneurs focusing on beekeeping. Apart from governments, many other agencies may also contribute towards ensuring healthy pollination.

There is no doubt that all of us are fighting the pandemic and honey produced by bees can give us immunity. For our self-interest, we must extend our support to safeguard these pollinators including bees. As an individual, all of us can contribute towards this and the best way is to plant a diverse set of native plants, which flower at different times of the year. We can buy raw honey from local farmers and raise awareness around us by sharing information within our communities and networks with a focus that the decline of bees shall affect us all. Let's cheer the role of our petite food heroes in improving food safety, nutrition and ensuring the achievements of SDGs.