The world’s largest managed population of native pollinators in Walla Walla County is in the path of a state road-construction project.
(via fairtrade)
Omar Valdés is a member of COASABA honey cooperative. We got to see part of his beautiful work, with his beehives and those of his father. Omar Valdés doesn’t own land, so he rents a small piece of property in the outskirts of the city of Santa Bárbara, in the town of Los Mayo. This allows him to leave his bees with access to plenty of food and fresh water, but at the same time it is close to his home. When asked how he thinks his life would be without the cooperative Mr. Omar says:
My life wouldn’t be the same, neither for my family nor for the region’s beekeeping.
Fairtrade International’s Liaison Officer Ingrid Allende joined COASBA honey cooperative in Chile for their general assembly. The election process was a chance for producers to talk about their organization and their reasons for becoming a cooperative. Read more here…
[W]hile parasites, pathogens, and habitat loss can deal blows to bee health, research increasingly points to pesticides as the primary culprit.
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Honeybee problem nearing a critical point by Claire Thompson at Grist read more about Zombees! |
In both the popular imagination and ad campaigns, honey is the epitome of a wild food. After all, bees can’t be herded and overfed like cattle, or immobilized like broiler chickens if they are to continue making the sweet substance. As reported here last year, bees are “a key to global food security” due to their critical importance in food chains worldwide. In fact, honey seems to be a bellwether of global food insecurities.
“What’s killing the bees? —my question has shifted more towards, “Good lord, what doesn’t kill bees”
“…Colony Collapse Disorder is a problem. But it isn’t the problem. Instead, it’s just a great big insult piled on top of an already rising injury rate. Saving the honeybee isn’t just about figuring out CCD. Bees were already in trouble before that came along. “
The Guardian recently reported that scientists have observed honeybees sealing up hives contaminated with pesticides in order to protect the rest of the hive from the poisonous chemicals. Bees didn’t always do this. Over time, they figured out that pesticides were harmful and began taking measures to minimize pesticide exposure to their baby bees, which feed on the pollen. If only humans were as smart as bees!
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| — | from E magazine’s blog post “Strawberry Fields Forever (Poisoned)” by |
