The plight of the honeybee

Over the last two years there has been a massive, worldwide drop in bee numbers. In the UK, beekeepers report a one in three loss of bee colonies has occurred. It appears that we could be heading towards a global disappearance of honey bees. The consequences of this would be dire. It is estimated that one third of human food supplies depend on bee pollination.

What’s causing the deaths is unclear – there is a huge amount of research being done worldwide, and it’s likely that a number of factors may be implicated. One suspect is a group of insecticides called neonicotinoids. These were first used in agriculture in the mid 1990s – at exactly the time when mass bee disappearances started occurring. The evidence against these chemicals is strong enough that they have been suspended or banned in France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia – but not yet in the UK.

What also doesn't help is the nature of modern industrial farming. With its reliance on vast monocultures of single crops, industrial farming reduces the amount of flowers and weeds that bees have traditionally used as forage. This reduction in food sources seems to have contributed to the decline in bee numbers that we have witnessed.

To safeguard the future of our bees we need action on several fronts. We want the Government to follow the lead of France and Germany and take action to restrict the use of neonicotinoids; you can add your voice to this demand by signing our online petition today. We also need more farmers to use sustainable farming practices and protect the biodiversity of our countryside; as a consumer you can encourage this by buying organic food in your weekly shopping. We also want the Government to put some of its current £10 million pound research budget into examining the impact of pesticides (in particular neonicotinoids) on bee health.