On World Bee Day

THE universe, no doubt, is a harmony of diversities, biological and non-biological. Of the numerous biological diversities known, the insect, bee, occupies a vintage position, first because of its sweet honey, and second, because of its painful sting. These two realities are the main attributes for which most humans know the bee. But, by far, the bee’s most significance within the ecosystem is its involvement in the sustenance of life, both of humans and of livestock. Food is crucial to human existence, and flowering plants produce the chunk of food upon which man survives, not forgetting his livestock. Pollination, as we learnt in elementary biology, is the process through which flowers get pollen transferred between one another through natural agents like insects, animals, wind and water. Bee, an insect, plays a significant role as a pollination agent. Empirical evidence indicates bee as contributing 35 per cent of the earth’s pollination service. This reveals the nexus between the bee, pollination and food production. It is therefore not an understatement to say that farming will give way to famine where the bees unable to pollinate.

Talking about the threat to bees as pollinators, bees are increasingly under threats from human beings. It is typical in many corners of our earth that when we see a single bees foraging in our environment and making the humming sound, the instinct to kill it is naturally there with us. Also when a swarm colony of bees visits the neighborhood, we take action: to kill them by fire, or by fumigating them with insecticides. These are apparently assaults on the bees. Sadly, there are numerous unintended assaults of a global dimension which inflict severe collateral damage on the existence of bees and their capacity to pollinate. The offensive is captured in the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals in the pursuit of increasing agricultural output. These agricultural activities poisoned the bee and the resultant effect has been the progressive decline of bees’ ability and capacity to pollinate, and the reality of an impending famine.

In order to stem the tide of the destruction inadvertently visited on these beneficial pollinating creatures, as well as the impending global famine, the UN member states approved the proposal of the sovereign state of Slovenia to proclaim 20th May as World Bee Day, in December, 2017. The purpose was to raise awareness, globally, of the importance of bees as pollinators and agents for the sustainable development of our world. The goal of celebrating World Bee Day is, among others, to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees, and other pollinators which hopefully will contribute to the solving of problems related to the global food supply, and eliminate hunger in the world. The World Bee Day concerns all humans still alive. This is more so as we all depend on the fruits and nuts that came to be as a result of pollination.

We are, therefore, duty-bound to monitor their decline and halt the loss of this all important biodiversity. The theme of this year’s celebration is, “bee engaged”. This year’s celebration is the fourth. The theme is nothing but a wake up call to a threatened world population. It draws the attention of mankind to an impending peril and present an action plan that will ensure food security in our world. These are recommended roles to be played by individual citizen of the world bee keepers and farmers, government and policy makers.

As individuals, we need to engage in the following bee friendly activities; planting diverse set of native flowering or fruit forming plants, buying raw honey from bee keepers, avoiding agrochemicals but embracing organic farming; protecting wild bee colonies, sponsoring a hive, sustaining forest ecosystems, sharing the information  contained herein in our various communities. As for bee keepers and farmers, they are required to do the following: engaging in organic farming, planting of attractive crops around the field, and creating hedgerow. Government and policy makers are required to play the following roles: strengthening the participation of local communities in decision making on ecosystem and biodiversity, enforcement of strategic measures, including granting of incentives to encourage change, collaboration between national and international organizations, and between academic and research networks to monitor and evaluate pollination exercises.

If the aforelisted roles are effectively implemented, the availability of nutritious crops such as fruits, nuts and berries, and several vegetables will become a given. They would no longer need be substituted by staples like rice, yam, maize or potato. Balanced diet will be assured. Consequently, too, beehive products, e.g. honey, bee pollens, bee wax, bee propolis, bee venom, etc, will be abundantly available for man’s use. It is therefore imperative to declare thus: Let the World be bee engaged!

• Agboola sent this piece via [email protected]

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