The importance of bees in the ecosystem is not well known, but they play a key role in its preservation.
At Iberiana, we collaborate with the Friends of the Bees Foundation. The Foundation works on a daily basis to raise awareness of the importance of the silent and constant disappearance of bees, raising awareness of the problem.
The importance of bees
Bees, as we said before, are a key element in preserving the ecosystem. In fact, according to the Royal Geographical Society London, they are the most valuable species on the planet. More than 250,000 plant species depend on their pollination work, as well as substantial losses in agriculture.
Their importance lies in the fact that by transporting pollen from one flower to another, plants can reproduce, survive and produce the food that we humans then consume.
Their survival does not depend entirely on their own nature, as wild swarms die from diseases and parasites spread by humans. They also depend to a large extent on a traditional rural activity: sustainable beekeeping.
Climate change is depleting the bee population. This is of concern to the FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, which notes that 75% of the world's food depends on pollination.
But apart from climate change, what are the main causes of its disappearance?
- Monocultures without biodiversity
- Industrial agriculture
- Deforestation
- Water pollution
- Abuse of agro-toxics, such as herbicides and pesticides
- Invasive species
- Transgenics
- Diseases and parasites
The Friends of the Bees Foundation
The Friends of the Bees Foundation was founded in Spain in November 2007 by a group of nature lovers who are concerned about the deterioration of the environment and the gradual disappearance of bees in our ecosystems.
They promote beekeeping, helping novice beekeepers to have their first hives and thus contributing to the maintenance of the rural population. It currently has the collaboration of dozens of volunteer beekeepers.
They are particularly present in environments that require specific protection or that have been devastated by fire.
What are its main objectives? Above all, the Foundation aims to raise public and institutional awareness of the importance of bees in the development and conservation of ecosystems through their pollination work. It also promotes the defence of the bee "Apis mellifera" and the protection of pollinators and other bee species.
Promote beekeeping as the last stronghold of honey bees, contributing with bees to the recovery of degraded ecosystems. Promote cultural and artistic events related to bees or beekeeping, as well as the dissemination of knowledge about bees and beekeeping, through research, dissemination and education actions that contribute to their protection and conservation.
What can we do to help?
In order to contribute to the survival of the bees, we can take small actions on an individual level that will certainly be of great help:
- Replace horticultural products containing neonicotinoids with biological alternatives such as nematodes or BT (Bacillus thuringiensis).
- Learn more about bees in order to respect them and understand their importance.
- Create an ecosystem of diverse habitats based on crop rotation to control pests and favour bees.
- Consume organic, local and seasonal products to support the organic farming system, which is less harmful to anthropophiles.
- Do not light fires in the countryside, especially in summer, as hundreds of beehives are lost every year due to forest fires.
- Locate nearby beekeepers and buy their hive products, including wax cosmetics, honey, propolis and royal jelly, to support sustainable beekeeping.
- Collaborate with the Friends of the Bees Foundation.
From Iberiana we want to share once again our support to the Friends of the Bees Foundation, with whom we collaborate and will continue to do so to help the preservation of bees and their continuity in the ecosystem.
