Earth and Habitat (Commonwealth Union) _Monday, May 20th, marks World Bee Day, a celebration designated by the United Nations in 2017 to highlight the crucial role of bees and other pollinators in sustainable development. This day emphasizes the urgent need to protect these vital creatures to support innovative, coordinated, and environmentally sound practices in agriculture.
Bees and other pollinators are essential for sustainable agriculture systems, contributing significantly to human livelihoods, nutrition, and food security. Unfortunately, they face numerous threats, including land use changes, intensive agriculture, pesticide use, pollution, diseases, and climate change. Raising awareness about these challenges is crucial to taking actionable steps toward protecting pollinators, which directly supports several UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as Zero Hunger (Goal 2), Responsible Consumption and Production (Goal 12), and Life on Land (Goal 15).
Why May 20th?
World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20th to honor Anton Janša, an 18th-century Slovenian pioneer of modern beekeeping. Janša revolutionized beekeeping techniques, emphasizing the importance of hive design and the critical role of drones. His innovations laid the foundation for contemporary beekeeping practices.
Why Bees Matter
Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species and 75% of food crops rely on animal pollination. Unfortunately, monoculture production and improper pesticide use threaten pollinators by reducing their access to food and nesting sites and exposing them to harmful chemicals. It’s estimated that nearly 35% of invertebrate pollinators, including bees, face extinction globally.
Evidence-based agricultural conservation practices are key to protecting pollinators and ensuring a sustainable agricultural system. These practices include careful use of pesticides, crop diversification, and maintaining pollinator habitats around farmland. Protecting pollinators is essential for the production of fruits, nuts, and many vegetable crops.
Protecting Bees
The International Pollinator Initiative and the Food and Agriculture Organization prioritize pollinator conservation through monitoring, research, and promoting sustainable practices. Governments can play a crucial role by strengthening local community participation in pollinator conservation, enforcing strategic measures, and fostering collaboration between national and international organizations.
Individuals can support pollinator health by raising awareness and sharing information within their communities and networks. To further these goals, Cambridge University Press is providing free access to six articles in its journal, Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, in honor of World Bee Day.
Research Highlights
Editor-in-Chief Katherine Dentzman has curated a selection of research articles showcasing the importance of pollinators in agri-food systems. These studies explore various aspects of pollinator health and sustainability:
- Bencharki et al. (2022) demonstrated that planting marketable habitat enhancement plants, such as spices and oil seeds, in field borders increased wild bee diversity and pollination in commodity crop fields in Morocco.
- Egerer (2022) found that community gardens in urban Berlin attracted wild bee species previously undocumented in the region.
- Giovanetti & Bortolotti (2023) highlighted the growing public concern for wild bee health in Italy and its influence on EU policy reforms.
- Nalepa et al. (2020) surveyed Canadian apple growers, revealing low awareness of wild bees’ benefits and characteristics, underscoring the need for better information dissemination.
- Normandeau Bonneau et al. (2020) showed that bumble bee pollination under pest exclusion netting in Quebec apple orchards produced similar quality fruit to conventional methods.
- Amon et al. (2023) discovered that cranberry growers in the US and Canada were interested in bumble bee pollination but needed more accurate information.
These studies underscore the importance of pollinator diversity, the need for public awareness, and the role of informed policy measures. This special collection aims to contribute to the ongoing efforts to protect and support bees and other pollinators, ensuring a sustainable future for all.
