Save Bees and Farmers is a European Citizens’ Initiative group that works to improve the lives of bees and farmers around European countries. Their message to Spain right now is: stop spraying roadside ditches during full bloom.
In Spain, again, roadside ditches are being sprayed with pesticide during the time of year when pollinators are out in full force and nature is in full bloom. Bees and other pollinators are very active during this season. This spraying action is causing the unnatural death of way too many bees.
This is considered by Save Bees and Farmers as an attack against the health of people, the environment and the economy. They are joining Spanish organizations like the SOS biodiversidad SOS polinizadores Platform in demanding a complete ban on any pesticides that are toxic to pollinators. Recently, this platform published a manifesto for the ban of many things, including all aerial spraying by light aircrafts and drones, and the spraying of roadside ditches.
This 1:10-minute video by the European Parliament shows different challenges European bees and beekeepers are facing:
Many beekeeping associations have joined the European Citizens’ Initiative so they can urge the European Commission to set legal acts to phase out synthetic pesticides by up to 80% in EU agriculture by 2030. They want to start with the most hazardous pesticides, since many of those currently being used in industrial agriculture threaten human health and the environment as well as economic sectors like beekeeping. The goal is to be free of synthetic pesticides by 2035, while supporting farmers in the transition and restoring biodiversity to the land.
Save Bees and Farmers promotes finding an agricultural solution that allows for agriculture to thrive without toxic chemicals, where long term biodiversity and climate friendly farming methods can be saved and reintroduced. This is, after all, part of Europe’s rural traditions. There is very thought-provoking and important information on their website. For instance, industrial agriculture is destroying traditional farming communities in Europe. “Over the past ten years, on average, one farm had to give up business every 3 minutes!”
The European Citizens’ Initiative stands for an agricultural policy that saves bees and farmers. They must collect a minimum of 1 million signatures in order for the European Commission and European Parliament to address their demands. They already have close to 350,000 signatures, and every single signature counts.
So, for those of you bee lovers and bee protectors who have little time to plant bee gardens or get involved with bees in a time consuming way, this could be a perfect solution to how you can help save bees. Check out the Save Bees and Farmers website, and you’ll see on the right side where you can add your signature to the list if their mission speaks to you as a bee lover. Or maybe you have a desire to save your own species and restore humanity's healthy and nutritious food supply.