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18 May 2022 Story Nature Action
WHY BEES ARE ESSENTIAL TO PEOPLE AND PLANET
Photo: Shutterstock
The greatest pollinators
Bees are part of the biodiversity on which we all depend for our survival.
They provide high-quality food—honey, royal jelly and pollen — and other
products such as beeswax, propolis and honey bee venom.
As the landmark 2019 report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform
on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) notes, “Sacred passages about
bees in all the worlds’ major religions highlight their significance to human
societies over millennia.”
Beekeeping also provides an important source of income for many
rural livelihoods. According to IPBES, the western honey bee is the most
widespread managed pollinator globally, and more than 80 million hives produce
an estimated 1.6 million tonnes of honey annually.
And pollinators contribute directly to food security. According to bee experts
at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, a third of
the world’s food production depends on bees.
When animals and insects pick up the pollen of flowers and spread it, they allow
plants, including many food crops, to reproduce. Birds, rodents, monkeys and
even people pollinate, but the most common pollinators are insects, and among
them, bees.
Bees at risk from pesticides, air pollution
But sadly, bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and
hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities.
Bee populations have been declining globally over recent decades due to habitat
loss, intensive farming practices, changes in weather patterns and the excessive
use of agrochemicals such as pesticides. This in turn poses a threat to a
variety of plants critical to human well-being and livelihoods.
Air pollution is also thought to be affecting bees. Preliminary research shows
that air pollutants interact with scent molecules released by plants which bees
need to locate food. The mixed signals interfere with the bees’ ability
to forage efficiently, making them slower and less effective at pollination.
While the vast majority of pollinator species are wild, including more than
20,000 species of bees, the mass breeding and large-scale transport of
pollinators can pose risks for the transmission of pathogens and parasites.
According to the IPBES report, better regulation of their trade can decrease the
risk of unintended harm.
Taking urgent action
But there are positive signs.
In May 2018, the European Union upheld a partial ban on three insecticides known
as neonicotinoids to mitigate the lethal threat they pose to bees and their
trickle-down effect on pollination as a whole.
This August, when world leaders gather in Kunming, China, at the United Nations
Biodiversity Conference (COP 15), they are expected to finalize the post-2020
biodiversity framework, which calls for, amongst other things, the reduction of
pesticides by at least two thirds by 2030.
“Increasing crop and regional farm diversity as well as targeted habitat
conservation, management or restoration, is one way of combating climate change
and promoting biodiversity,” says UN Environment Programme (UNEP) biodiversity
specialist Marieta Sakalian. “Governments need to take the lead.”
It is precisely to encourage governments, organizations, civil society and
concerned citizens to protect pollinators and their habitats that the UN has
declared 20 May World Bee Day.
World Bee Day raises awareness of the essential role bees, and other pollinators
play in keeping people and the planet healthy. The date coincides with the
birthday of Anton Janša, who in the 18th century pioneered modern beekeeping
techniques in his native Slovenia and praised the bees for their ability to work
so hard while needing so little attention.
For further information please contact Marieta Sakalian, Senior Programme
Management Officer and Coordinator for Healthy and Productive Ecosystems at
UNEP.
This World Bee Day, join the conversation on #WorldBeeDay, and do your part
to #Savethebees
Here are some actions you can take to help preserve bees and other pollinators:
* Plant nectar-bearing flowers such as marigolds or sunflowers for decorative
purposes on balconies, terraces, and gardens
* Buy honey and other hive products from your nearest local beekeeper
* Raise awareness among children and adolescents on the importance of bees and
express your support for beekeepers
* Set up a pollinator farm on your balcony, terrace, or garden
* Preserve old meadows, which feature a more diverse array of flowers, and sow
nectar-bearing plants
* Cut grass on meadows only after the nectar-bearing plants have finished
blooming
* Use pesticides that do not harm bees, and spray them in windless weather,
either early in the morning or late at night, when bees withdraw from
blossoms
Topics
* Nature action
* Air quality
* Climate action
* Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
FURTHER RESOURCES
* Key messages on pollinators from the May 2019 IPBES report
* World Bee Day website
* UN Greening the Blue website
* UN Environment 2019 visual booklet on pollinators and pesticides: Keeping our
bees safe
* Pollinators under threat—so what?
* Conservation and Management of Pollinators for Sustainable Agriculture,
through an Ecosystem Approach
* United Nations Biodiversity Conference
* Post-2020 biodiversity framework
RELATED CONTENT
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World Environment Day: turning point in our race to restoration
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RELATED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
GOAL 1
Goal 1: No Poverty
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GOAL 3
Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
+
GOAL 7
Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
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GOAL 11
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
+
GOAL 12
Goal 12: Sustainable Consumption and Production
+
GOAL 13
Goal 13: Climate Action
+
GOAL 14
Goal 14: Life Below Water
+
GOAL 15
Goal 15: Life on Land
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