Bees, the engine of human food.

The bee population is decreasing every year, what would happen if the bees disappeared? Albert Einstein has already said it: “Man would only have four years to live. Without bees, there is no pollination, no grass, no animals, no people. ´´

 

We are at a crucial moment in history when it is imperative that countries redouble their efforts to protect these essential allies in the fight against hunger. As we all know, bees are among the most hard-working creatures on the planet, ensuring the pollination and therefore the reproduction of many wild and cultivated plants, which is vital for the production of essential food.

 

“Bees are seriously threatened by the combined effects of climate change, intensive agriculture, pesticide use, biodiversity loss and pollution,” said José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of FAO, in a video message for World Bee Day. “The absence of bees and other pollinators would eliminate coffee, apples, almonds, tomatoes and cocoa, to name just a few of the crops that depend on pollination. Countries must adopt more user-friendly and sustainable food policies and systems for pollinators.

 

There are several threats to the lives of these insects, such as pesticides or human attacks. The negative effect of chemicals, such as fungicides to treat certain trees, is the main cause of this high bee mortality.

 

 

According to the FAO, up to 84% of cash crops are highly dependent on pollination by bees, which makes our food sustainable. If these insects were to disappear, up to 70% of the main agricultural crops grown for human consumption would collapse.

 

 

They are much more important than we think, as Greenpeace says: 75% of the food we consume depends on pollination, 37% of bee populations in Europe are in decline and more than €2.4 million represents the economic value of bee pollination work for agriculture in Spain.

 

One of the main solutions is organic farming, because if we are not using toxic products or pesticides, bees are not poisoned, nor are the ground or water in the region, which promotes biodiversity and is positive for human health.

 

With small actions such as planting flowers to feed the bees, we can bring our grain of sand and contribute to their survival. Do not destroy their environment, they are not aggressive in themselves. If they approach, just ignore them and let them live!