Declining Bee Populations and

its effects on global food

security and nutrition
Presentation by: Ishaan Vinod
Why Are Bees so Important?
Bees are among the hardest working creatures on the planet. They put in lots of
toil into pollination, which is necessary for the spread of different plants and even
crops, which is an advantage for humans, plants, and the entire ecosystem.
Pollinators such as bees and bats, contribute to over 35% of the world’s crop
production. 87 of the world’s leading crops, as well as many medicinal plants,
require pollination to reproduce.
Over 2/3 of the crops that feed us, depend on pollinators, most of which are bees.
Hence, bees play an indirect, but important role in food security. They also help in
nutrition, as higher crop production means an abundance of fruit and crops,
including nuts.
Decline in Bee Population and its
Disadvantages
The population of bees is increasingly declining, which would have a negative impact
on crops and plants in general.
The main reasons for the decline in population of bees include climate change, intensive
agriculture, pesticides use, biodiversity loss and pollution.
The decline in bee population would lead to a decrease in not only crop yield, but also
in nutrition. As you know, crop wield will be decreased due to less pollination rates.
At the same time, the absence of bees and other pollinators would wipe out coffee,
apples, almonds, tomatoes and cocoa to name just a few of the crops that rely on
pollination.
At the same time, these crops would be replaced by staple crops like rice, maize and
potatoes, all of which are rich in only carbohydrates. This would ultimately lead to an
imbalanced diet.
Solution from Us and the Big Organizations
As Individuals, we can choose more pollinator-friendly options wherever we are and
whenever we can. We can also take measures such as growing out own pollinator-
dependent flowers to enhance bee growth rates.
Measures are also being taken by large organizations, especially the FAO. Every year on
20th May, we celebrate the World Bee Day, which is a special day set by the United
Nations to spread awareness and take action for the welfare of our bees.
Other than the FAO, there are other organizations whose aim is to protect bees. A major
organization as an example of this is Apimondia. It is an international organization that
works in the welfare of bee population and starting initiatives regarding proper apiculture.
In the World Bee Day of 2019, the FAO saw help and assistance in its causes, from
Apimondia, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Food of the country of
Slovenia.
Thank You!