According to the United Nations Environment Programme, of the 100 crop varieties that provide 90% of the world’s food, 71 are pollinated by bees. In North America, honey bees alone pollinate nearly 95 kinds of fruits, such as almonds, avocados, cranberries and apples, in addition to commodity crops like soy.
How much of our food supply is dependent on bees?
Bees pollinate 80% of the world’s plants including 90 different food crops. 1 out of every 3 or 4 bites of food you eat is thanks to bees. The honey bee is responsible for $15 billion in U.S. agricultural crops each year.
How much of our food supply do honey bees pollinate?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, of the 100 crop varieties that provide 90% of the world’s food, 71 are pollinated by bees.
What fraction of the food we eat depends on honey bees?
One out of every three bites of food we eat, every day, every week, is dependent on bees for pollination. That’s a whole different range of foods, from fruits to nuts to vegetables. Things like almonds are heavily dependent on bees for pollination, tomatoes, pumpkins, blueberries.
How do bees affect our food supply?
Bees, particularly honeybees, have been around for millions of years and are responsible for pollinating over a third of our food supply and 90% of wild plants. ... The honey bee is so essential in crop pollination that some farmers “rent” them or ship them in to pollinate their crops in the spring.
What food depends on bees?
About one-third of the food eaten by Americans comes from crops pollinated by honey bees, including apples, melons, cranberries, pumpkins, squash, broccoli, and almonds , to name just a few.
What can we do if we find a bee that is struggling?
“If you find a tired bee in your home, a simple solution of sugar and water will help revive an exhausted bee. Simply mix two tablespoons of white, granulated sugar with one tablespoon of water, and place on a spoon for the bee to reach.
Do bees pollinate our food?
Bees are a really critical part of our food system. One out of every three bites of food we eat, every day, every week, is dependent on bees for pollination . That’s a whole different range of foods, from fruits to nuts to vegetables.
Why bees are important for food production?
In fact, it’s estimated that bees are responsible for a third of the food that we eat . ... Animals including birds, bats, beetles, and butterflies are all pollinators, transferring pollen between flowers and plants, but the honeybee is the most important pollinator.
How do bees help farmers?
Bees play a big role in agriculture. They pollinate crops, increase yields, and give rise to a lucrative honey industry . ... Many fruits, nuts, and vegetables require pollination by bees and other insects in order to yield fruit, and without pollinators these crops could all but disappear from grocery store shelves.
What foods would we lose if bees went extinct?
Without bees, they would set fewer seeds and would have lower reproductive success. This too would alter ecosystems. Beyond plants , many animals, such as the beautiful bee-eater birds, would lose their prey in the event of a die-off, and this would also impact natural systems and food webs.
What foods would we lose if our bee populations disappeared?
Bee populations worldwide have been shrinking for years. Earth is at risk of losing all its insects in 100 years. Without bees, crops worldwide would suffer, making nuts, fruits, and vegetable more expensive and difficult to produce. Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
What would be gone if bees went extinct?
Without bees, they would set fewer seeds and would have lower reproductive success. This too would alter ecosystems. Beyond plants, many animals, such as the beautiful bee-eater birds, would lose their prey in the event of a die-off, and this would also impact natural systems and food webs.
What are the top 5 reasons why bees are so important?
- They Pollinate Food Crops. Honeybees always travel incredible distances to look for pollen. ...
- They Pollinate Wild Plants. Bees not only help with food crops, but they also pollinate wild plants. ...
- They Produce Honey. ...
- Honey Products. ...
- Employment.
Can we pollinate without bees?
A flower has to be pollinated to “set fruit” or begin to create the juicy ovaries that will become apples. Some fruits are self-pollinating, and can fertilize themselves without any bees involved. ... If you plant all Royal Delicious apples, for example, you won’t get fruit, with or without bees.
Why honey bee is useful to us?
Honey bees are the species most commonly used as commercial pollinators in the US. ... But honey bees don’t only pollinate crops– they also pollinate wild and native plants, thus contributing to all the environmental and societal benefits attributed to pollinators in general above.
