What's Happening to the Bees?

We want to bring to light an issue associated with industrial agriculture which only a few know about. Here's why it should be a major cause of concern. 

Bees are an integral part of the agricultural ecosystem. They are the main pollinators, and without them fruit and vegetable plants would not be able to reproduce. Without bees the ecosystem collapses and food yields drop. We absolutely depend on these little creatures to sustain ourselves.

In the last decade there has been a sharp decrease in the bee population, for no apparent reason. Populations have plummeted in the United States, and also places closer to home like Bihar. This phenomenon, known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), is when worker bees from a colony abruptly disappear. Scientists have done their best to pinpoint the cause. Possible factors have been attributed to global warming, even cell phone radiation. But various recent studies have suggested that a main cause can be pesticides.

Neonicotinoids are a chemical developed as an alternative to DDT, but in reality is much more toxic. Bees eat the toxins from the nectar and pollen, and consequently their immune system is weakened and unable to fight off disease. Pesticides are meant to get rid of bad insects, but they are destroying the insects the earth needs. But moreover, if this is the effect that pesticides have on bees, what can that mean for other animals? For humans? Each pesticide is a dose of a toxin. Built up over time these doses wreck havoc on the environment and on living things.

This is a famous quote attributed to Einstein: “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.” While there is debate as to whether or not Einstein is the one who uttered this quote, one cannot deny the seriousness of colony collapse. And while there is still no way to link this issue to one root cause, pesticides are certainly a good contender.

It seems better to just not use chemicals, specially when there are effective alternatives. In order to solve these issues, every little step counts. We promote organic so that we can eat in a way that is sustainable and conscious. Your desire to eat organic matters, and makes a huge difference in the big picture!