As bee populations dwindle in many parts of the world, the risk to our food supply increases because honeybees and native bees are essential pollinators.
Most of our vegetables, fruits and nuts need pollinators like bees to help them survive and be productive.
In the USA, some state governments are taking measures to prevent further decline of the bee population in various ways.
Texas, for example. Bees are greatly cherished in Texas, where they consider that these little insects have big jobs to do.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, without honey bees and native bees, 70% of plants would be unable to reproduce, otherwise known as pollination.
This 1:34-minute video by KVUE refers to the laws proposed in Texas to save the bees:
For the past 15 years the number of bee losses reported by beekeepers has been increasing. Last year American beekeepers reportedly lost nearly 44% of their honeybee colonies. There are many complex reasons for this, but some of the main ones are pesticides that kill bees, parasites that kill bees, lack of habitat which can lead to starvation and an expanding human population.
Loss of habitat is often due to building and road projects where land is cleared. The more highways and strip malls, businesses, hotels, and housing developments are built, the more habitat is lost.
We are transforming the environment and making it quite hostile for bees in many instances, and usually we do not augment what we take away.
Luke Metzger is the executive director of Environment Texas. He says that as we convert our landscapes to single crop monocultures, bees and other pollinators have a hard time adapting and finding a rich and diverse source of flowers and safe nesting spots.
There are a couple of new proposed laws in the state of Texas that might help save the bees. State Representative M. Beckley filed a proposed law requiring utilities to plant bee-friendly habitat after they dig up the roadsides on state highways. A separate proposed law would require that solar farms provide bee-friendly natural habitats.
Environmentalists warn that humans may face uncertain food supplies if we don’t act now to protect the busy bees that make our food possible.
According to Metzger, our food supply is at risk and the bees are critical pollinators of everything from coffee to chocolate along with other edibles that make our lives wonderful.
But it’s not just about our survival and what bees can do for us. As Metzger said, even more important is the risk of losing these amazing creatures, as we are losing species rapidly.