Without bees, we could not eat fruits only edible tubers

Mérida, Yucatán, (May 22. 2021).-Bees, butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds, species present in Yucatán, have the great responsibility of pollinating 90 percent of flowering plants, 75 percent of the world’s food crops, and 35 percent of the agricultural land, according to data from the United Nations (UN).

“Bees guarantee very specific types of pollination in the production of food, which generates a great diversity of fruits, vegetables and seeds. Without them, we would only eat tubers, “said Adriana Correa Benítez, a full-time professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics (FMVZ) at UNAM.

“Bees produce honey, wax, royal jelly, propolis and poison, process pollen and nectar into honey, and use propolis for healing purposes,” she added

“Yucatán is a producer and exporter of honey, classified as one of the best in the world, and if we do not take care of bees, this could come to an end”, Correa Benitez said. 

Conservation of bees

By caring for and conserving bees with activities such as beekeeping in suitable ecosystems in the countryside (never in cities), it is also sought to conserve the world’s food supply and end hunger. 

“Because if we re-establish all natural ecosystems (and bees are specialists in that), all those products that today’s children may not even know about will be generated again, such as hawthorn, strawberries and walnuts in their natural state,” said the expert. .

On the occasion of World Bee Day, which was commemorated on Thursday, May 20, the expert indicated that these insects are the first to die when something happens in their ecosystem.

“That is why they became very important as environmental indicators,” she said.

From 2004 to 2006, bees began to die en masse in Europe, which was associated with the use of pesticides, various forms of cultivation, climate change, and diseases of the insects, among other environmental factors and anthropogenic causes.

As a result of this catastrophe, the UN established World Bee Day, to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators, the threats they face, and their contribution to sustainable development. 

This year’s theme focused on beekeeping and good practices adopted by beekeepers around the world to support their livelihoods and offer high-quality products.