Bees play a very important role in making sure we all have food to eat. Bees can be found on every continent except Antarctica, and in Sweden alone there are 300 different species.
The bee mortality is a growing problem and it's considered to be a serious threat towards the biodiversity. There are several reasons for the megadeath of bees. From parasites, different illnesses and lack of nutrition to the pesticides used in farming. Pesticides is believed to play a very crucial role in the recent high rates of bee mortality.
Luxemburg, Italy and the UK have had between 30 and 50 procent bee mortality in the past years. In the winter of 2010 Sweden had a rate of 25 procent.
When the bees die and the numbers of beekeepers continue to decline it's going to have huge consequences. As much as 76 procent! of the food production and 84 procent of the plant species within the EU depends on pollination of bees.
The agrucultural comittee of the EU-parlament is working on a new suggestion for the agricultural policy for 2014–2020. That suggestion includes more money for the reasearch on environmentally friendly agriculture including how pesticides affects bees. They also want to give economic support to beekeepers.
The nature needs an omnivore like the bee. If 40 procent of the bee colonies would die, the financial consequenses for Sweden alone will be 300 million SEK (45million USD).
Just another reason to eat organically produced food.
More information about beekeeping kan be found here. And scary information about megadeath of bees can be found here (Swedish only) or here here (English).
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