Food Disaster?

Could this be our future?

Several people have asked me about the truth of The Huffington Post article "Honey Bees Are Dying Putting America at Risk of a Food Disaster." I'll be talking to horticulturalists and bee people over the next few weeks to try to make sense of all this overwhelming and sometimes alarmist information about honey bees.

Today I spoke with the horticulture manager where I work, at the University of Michigan's Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum. He had this to say:

"While it’s true that 80% of agricultural crops are pollinated by honey bees, honey bees are not their only pollinators. In fact, many agricultural crops are self-pollinated and don’t rely on insects at all. Some crops – such as the almond crop in California – are quite dependent on commercial beekeepers for pollination, but here in Michigan we do not rely on domesticated pollinators to such a great extent."

So, Mike is not worried that we are one bad winter away from starvation. However, he does say that there is a general decline in many pollinator species, not just honey bees, due in part to indiscriminate use of pesticides. Lawmakers can help by implementing restrictions on pesticides containing neonic-treated crop seeds, similar to the ban set to take effect in the E.U. in December 2013. 

Home gardeners can help by reading the labels of pesticides they buy for home use. These product labels clearly state if they are damaging to honey bees. You can also write your Congressional representative advocating for neonics restrictions.

Other ways you can help: plant flowers, buy local honey, or even become a beekeeper.