Last year's decline in honey bees, known as Colony Collapse Disorder, put the importance of pollinators to our food supply into the limelight. Though CCD remains somewhat of a mystery (multiple factors may be at play), one thing is for sure: widespread adoption of organic farming can only help the dire situation.

Dire? Well, yeah. Most fruit and many vegetables, as well as forage for livestock, depend on pollinators. USDA estimates that about one in every three mouthfuls we consume depends on pollination by honey bees. More than one-third of honey bees were lost this past winter.

Some of the suspects of CCD include pesticides, parasites, and viruses. The most popular theory is that pesticides are affecting bees' immune system, which then leads to infections and behavioral problems. Affected bees apparently experience disorientation, as many simply don't return to the hive.

Another culprit may be transgenic crops. One study in France links biopesticides in transgenic corn and cotton -- the Bt toxin that makes these crops insect-resistant -- to symptoms of disturbed foraging.

As the amount of farmland transitioning to organic slows in the face of high grain costs, protecting one of our most important farmworkers should not be forgotten as a reason to support widespread adoption of organic practices.

And here's a new twist: Global warming could make it harder for honey bees to buzz on through these current challenges. A fungal parasite that has long infected honey bees in the United States has been found to respond to increased carbon dioxide, which leads to enhanced germination and higher mortality rates of infected bees.

But there's hope, and it lies in chemical-free agriculture as evidenced by scientific studies showing that organic farms often retain natural habitats and provide chemical-free and transgenic-free sanctuaries for honey bees and other pollinators. Furthermore, organically managed soils sequester more carbon than conventional sysems, helping to mitigate the effects of global warming.

Source: Institute of Science in Society

Comments (2)

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Plus, no honey would be a tota
written by Jessica, April 29, 2008

I can't believe how many people do not see the far reaching implications of missing honey bees. What are the teaching in school? I'm not sure where I learned that plants require polination to reproduce, and bees are responsible for that polination, but I always thought it was common knowledge. Kind of like everything else you learn in the second grade.

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It's a serious problem
written by Science lessons, May 26, 2009

It's a serious problem, although it may not be felt in the short term. Who know where's the tipping point. It's important to spread the awareness, especially for kids who are our future. Visit NeoK12.com for short educational videos for kids on pollination, plants, agriculture etc.

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