Are you saving the bees yet? Your actions are boosting sustainable agriculture

You might not be a farmer yourself, but chances are that there are crops somewhere around you. As champions of sustainable agriculture, we understand food systems as part of a holistic environment, which means that a resilient, biodiverse ecosystem starts in your backyard. 

As we celebrate World Bee Day this May 20, you will surely stumble across news pieces inviting you to save bees from population decline. The usual buzzwords point at the importance of honey bees (and particularly Apis mellifera, the Western honey bee) and planting flowers for them to thrive. However, these are only the most popular bees around, out of more than 20,000 species that play important roles in our food systems.

Apis florea, or the dwarf honey bee, is native to Southeast Asia. It is the smallest of the apis genus, also living in smaller colonies and producing less honey than the common honeybee. ©Photograph: Dr. Norhisham Razi.

They belong to the vast group of pollinators, which includes butterflies and bats, and naturally enables plant reproduction by transporting pollen from one flower to another. It is a mutually beneficial relationship in which they get food, and which sometimes produces byproducts such as honey, which end up being a food source for humans as well. Altogether, these creatures pollinate over 75% of the world’s flowering plants, including most crops humans use for food.

However, pollinators, and among them bees, have been largely threatened. Some of the most severe threats include the use of highly hazardous pesticides that poison them as collateral damage, the reduction of natural cover that houses them, the intensification of the reproduction of the Western honeybee (which creates an imbalance with local species) and changing temperatures that alter their lifecycles.

Apis cerana, or the Asian honey bee, is closely related to the Apis mellifera. However it lives in much smaller colonies (around 6,000 individuals) and is very proficient in pollinizing in dense vegetation. ©Photograph: Dr. Norhisham Razi.

For farmers and consumers, this is also an economic issue, as at least $235 billion worth of crops is at risk from pollinator loss. From a sustainable agriculture mindset, we aim to provide bees with thriving spaces in which to live, because healthy pollinator communities result in crops that yield more abundant and better produce. That is better livelihoods for rural communities and nutritious food on our tables.

What can we do?

As a global impact network, SAN brings together the knowledge of our members across the globe, setting a stage for collaborating and sharing best practices that resonate across the world. For example, through our member Wild Asia and CABI, we have encouraged biodiverse-friendly practices in palm oil production in Malaysia, impacting supply chains that reach far and wide. 

 “The inclusion of small patches of non-crop plant mixtures such as Chinese chaste tree (Vitex negundo), straits rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum), and pagoda flower (Clerodendrum paniculatum) within oil palm farms has shown promising results in enhancing the diversity and abundance of beneficial insects. These plants provide essential resources like pollen and nectar for native bees while supporting arthropods that act as natural pest control agents,” explained Dr. Norhisham Razi, entomologist who led the field assessments through our local partnership with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

Bombus terrestris, known also as the buff-tailed bumblebee, is native to Europe, North Africa and some parts of Asia. These larger bees can fly up two 2 km away from their nests and their stronger buzz helps make flowers release pollen. ©Photograph: Myriams-Fotos on Pixabay.

And while you might not be a farmer, you can also take steps to protect bees in your own environment:

1. First, if you see a bee, don’t kill it! Gently push it away or get out of its way. Remember they are not likely to sting if unbothered, and that many are even unable to sting.

   
   

2. If a hive starts to develop in your home, don’t destroy it. Instead, call specialized services for careful removal and relocation of the colony.

   
   

3. Raise awareness about the many kinds of bees that exist. You don’t need to start keeping honeybees to help pollinators thrive. Instead, recognize others like those fluffy bumblebees or the stingless bees (which also produce honey), and any others that might be local in your hometown.

   
   

4. Plant autochthonous flowers to attract your local bee species and let them enjoy your garden!

Your backyard is part of a larger landscape. Next time you see a bee roaming about, try to imagine the many plants it has enabling to thrive, and how the fruits and vegetables on your plate were able to grow thanks to your local bees.

And make sure to read more about pollinators and their crucial role in sustainable agriculture.