An organic solution to the bee crisis

Ask any organic farmer about the role of Bees in the productive food chain and you are likely to be told the truth. Bees are responsible for much more than the honey they produce. As beneficial pollinators, bees assume the responsibility for maintaining our planet’s rich diversity of advanced plant species. By facilitating the sexual reproduction of advanced plants, healthy Bee colonies ensure the continuing viability of many important food sources.

In recent years, there have been reports of a substantial decrease in bee populations in parts of Europe, the United States, and South East Asia. The problem is largely attributed to a species of mite (Varroa Destructor) which appears to destroy hives by introducing viral pathogens. The mites are known to infect both commercial bee populations and the descendants of introduced Honey Bees which now pollinate native species and cultivated plants throughout the world.

While nobody can say for certain, our current Bee Crisis may be linked to the environmental and ecological problems caused by conventional agricultural methods. Commercial honey production is now dominated by Beekeepers who support the proliferation of aggressively scaled cropping monocultures. The Bees are introduced to vast and uniform fields of species like Canola, Sunflower, or Blue Clover. A majority of such crops are heavily dependent on chemical inputs of pesticide and synthetic fertiliser. An increasing number are planted with genetically modified seed. Is it possible, if not likely that the cumulative effects of restricted forage, pesticide stress, and genetically modified crops have weakened their immunity?

From an organic perspective, what is the alternative? Fewer Bees for a start. The commercial model described above is based on securing a maximum number of hives with subsequent decreases in the quality and health of the colonies. Like other living species, Bees suffer from overcrowding. In their optimum state, Bees will forage amongst a wide variety of plant species, gathering pollens according to the nutritional requirements of the hive. This tendency has resulted in the unique properties and flavour of the popular honey varieties.

To maintain this organic perspective, it may be necessary to rebalance our tendency to favour those species of Bee capable of producing honey in large quantities. Honey is an enjoyable food source, however its overall importance is marginal compared to the pollination task which is undertaken by many other species of Bee. Instead of concentrating solely on honey producers, the organic agriculturalist will appreciate the important contribution of native and indigenous species which pollinate a wider range of plant species.