World Bee Day

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day.

Why this date?

20 May 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.

The proposal set forth by the Republic of Slovenia, with the support of Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations and FAO, to celebrate World Bee Day on 20 May each year met with approval by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017.

Theme for 2024 - Bee engaged with Youth

In recognition of the pivotal role that youth can play in addressing challenges bees and other pollinators are facing, World Bee Day 2024 focuses on the theme "Bee engaged with Youth." This theme highlights the importance of involving young people in beekeeping and pollinator conservation efforts, recognizing them as the future stewards of our environment.   

This year's campaign aims to raise awareness among youth and other stakeholders about the essential role of bees and other pollinators in agriculture, ecological balance, and biodiversity preservation. By engaging young people in beekeeping activities, educational initiatives, and advocacy efforts, we can inspire a new generation of environmental leaders and empower them to make a positive impact on the world.   

Fostering more diverse agricultural systems and reducing reliance on toxic chemicals can facilitate increased pollination. This approach can improve food quality and quantity, benefiting both human populations and the ecosystem.  

The value of bees

Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities.

Pollinators allow many plants, including many food crops, to reproduce. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity - a cornerstone of the Sustainable Development Goals. They also serve as sentinels for emergent environmental risks, signaling the health of local ecosystems.

Invasive insects, pesticides, land-use change and monocropping practices may reduce available nutrients and pose threats to bee colonies.

Key facts and figures

• Three out of four crops across the globe producing fruits or seeds for human use as food depend, at least in part, on pollinators. There are different pollinators species in the world, such as butterfies, birds and bats. The most popular ones are bees. There are between 25,000 to 30,000 species.
• The vast majority of pollinator species are wild, including more than 20,000 species of bees. 
• Pollinators contribute to 35 percent of the world’s total crop production, pollinating 87 of 115 leading food crops worldwide. 
• Pollinator-dependent food products contribute to healthy diets and nutrition.
• Pollinators are under threat – sustainable agriculture can reduce risk to pollinators by helping to diversify the agricultural landscape and making use of ecological processes as part of food production.
• Safeguarding bees safeguards biodiversity: the vast majority of pollinators are wild, including over 20,000 species of bees.

A pollination crisis

Bees are under threat. Present species extinction rates are 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal due to human impacts. Close to 35 percent of invertebrate pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, and about 17 percent of vertebrate pollinators, such as bats, face extinction globally.

Pollinators face main challenges today, from intensive agriculture, pesticides, to climate change. The absence of an appropriate habitat for bees could lead to a continuous decline in pollination. Mono-cropping, pesticides and higher temperatures associated with climate change all pose problems for bee populations and, by extension, the quality of food we grow.

Recognizing the dimensions of the pollination crisis and its links to biodiversity and human livelihoods, the Convention on Biological Diversity has made the conservation and sustainable use of pollinators a priority. In 2000, the International Pollinator Initiative (IPI) was established (COP decision V/5, section II) at the Fifth Conference of Parties (COP V) as a cross-cutting initiative to promote coordinated action worldwide to:

• Monitor pollinator decline, its causes and its impact on pollination services;
• Address the lack of taxonomic information on pollinators;
• Assess the economic value of pollination and the economic impact of the decline of pollination services; and
• Promote the conservation and the restoration and sustainable use of pollinator diversity in agriculture and related ecosystems.

Caring for bees and other pollinators is part of the fight against world hunger.

How can we do more?

Individuals 

• planting a diverse set of native plants, which flower at different times of the year;
• buying raw honey from local farmers;
• buying products from sustainable agricultural practices;
• avoiding pesticides, fungicides or herbicides in our gardens;
• protecting wild bee colonies when possible;
• sponsoring a hive;
• making a bee water fountain by leaving a water bowl outside;
• helping sustaining forest ecosystems;
• raising awareness around us by sharing this information within our communities and networks; The decline of bees affects us all!

The following successful approaches for decision-makers should include:

• Pollinator-friendly pesticide policies;
• Conservation and enhancement of pollinator habitats;
• Valuation, incentives, and payments for ecosystem services;
• Participation, knowledge-sharing, and empowerment of rural and indigenous peoples and local communities;
• Collaborative research and outreach;
• Public awareness raising and knowledge sharing.

Protection measures for farmers and governments

Recommended practices for farmers to create a good habitat for bees to ensure pollination include:

• leaving some areas under natural habitat;
• creating hedgerows;
• reducing or changing the usage of pesticides;
• leaving nesting sites; and
• planting attractive crops around the field.

On a policy level, a more diverse agriculture and less dependency on toxic chemicals to facilitate an increase in pollination, leading to improved food quality and a surge in food quantity are encouraged.

Source : UN