Tomorrow is World Honey Bee Day- a day to recognize the importance of honey bees and the beekeepers who help maintain our bee population. Bees are one of the most efficient pollinators on the planet, each visiting over 2,000 flowers a day. They are responsible for approximately 1/3 of our diet, pollinating the fruits, vegetables and nuts that we eat and feed to the livestock we harvest. Not to mention, they pollinate the cotton used to make much of our clothing, plants used in common medicine, and produce over 160 million pounds of honey each year in the US alone. Clearly, bees play a very important role in our ecosystem.
However, the number of bees is declining substantially each year. On average, we are seeing over a billion fewer bees year over year. Although the cause is undetermined, one of the leading theories is a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids which are used to prevent common agriculture crop pests. At Terramera, we know the value of these powerful pollinators and are doing our part to protect them by developing safer, more effective plant-based replacements to toxic chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
There are steps you can take to positively contribute to the well-being of the bee population as well:
These simple steps will help defend the honey bee population,
ensure their survival and their continued contribution to our ecosystem.
Happy World Honey Bee Day from the Terramera Team!