Why Bees Need Our Help!

The plight of the honey bee is not one that should be taken lightly. Over the past few decades, the global population of bees have been sharply declining.

Researchers have grappled with understanding what exactly is causing the decline in the bee populations and at the same time, humans have been forced to face the reality of what the loss of the bee means for the large, global ecosystem. You see, like many other species, the bee plays a vital role in keeping the balance between other species and their environment. In the case of bees and humans, these little insects are largely responsible for regulating our food supply.

Why do humans need bees?

A study published in  found that just two percent of wild bee species contributes 80% of the crop pollination visits observed globally. This means that if this small percentage of bees disappears... then 80 percent of our agricultural system will collapse.

Seventy of the top 100 food crops grown worldwide rely on pollinators, this is equivalent to 90 percent of the world's nutrition. It might sound unbelievable, but without bees, we can say goodbye to foods such as apples, almonds, oranges and avocados!

The same study was able to value bees in regards to their value on our economy... They concluded that bees contribute around $3,250 to crop production per hectare, per year. To put that in context, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that 1.4 billion hectares of land across the world is currently being cultivated for crops. That equals out to being around $4.2 trillion added to the global economy, all thanks to little bees!

How you can help save the bees!

1. Plant bee-friendly plants in your garden.

2. Support organic farmers who do not use chemicals on their crops.

3. Spread the word about the importance of bees and their declining population!