An American apiarist has emphasised the enormous importance pollination has on global food security.
An estimated 70 per cent of crops in the world rely on bees and other pollinators. At the same time, the insects’ habitats are at risk due to construction, pesticides and pests.
Now Michael Beckner from the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective (ABC) in West Virginia has warned that their decline could have serious implications on our consumption habits.
Michael told local broadcaster WVVA: “If we didn’t have bees, our diets would be totally different. I don’t even know if we would exist like we do now.”
The apiarist is enthusiastic about beekeeping. He said: “I love this. I love working with the bees. No stress.”
ABC is a nonprofit that provides free lectures to dozens of beekeepers in the area.
On its website, ABC praises apiculture as “a great way to earn a sustainable living in rural areas.”
However, the organisation also warns: “The start-up costs and learning curve can be steep.”
ABC’s skilled staff help to reduce the risks by providing education to its associates in classrooms as well as in hands-on workshops at the hives.
A recent survey by Californian gardening services provider Lawn Love ranked West Virginia among the top five US States when it comes to the number of available beekeeping classes.
West Virginia apiarists harvested 117,000 kilogrammes (258,000 lbs) of honey in 2021, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In the year before, their 6,000 honeybee colonies generated 125,000 kilogrammes (276,000 lbs) of honey.
The annual per capita consumption of honey In the United States ranges between 0.9 and 1.4 kilogrammes (one to three pounds).
