Healthy food and honey bees are greatly intertwined – they have been for thousands of years. In fact, large-scale honey bee cultivation has been traced back to the 10th century BCE in Israel, where beekeepers harvested honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Of course, taste had a lot to do with it, but honey bee products such as propolis are still used today to treat topical infections. Even bee venom is being investigated for its potential use to relieve the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Yet when people think of the many health benefits of honey bees, they don’t often consider their role when it comes to balanced nutrition. As one of the most prolific pollinators, honey bees are an integral aspect of modern sustainable agriculture, pollinating roughly one-third of the world’s crops. In other words, without honey bees, it wouldn’t be possible for us to enjoy some of our favorite fruits and vegetables—both of which are important components of a balanced meal.
It’s a big responsibility for such tiny creatures. And because we largely rely on honey bees for our collective livelihood, it’s important to keep them healthy. That is why Monsanto is proud to be a member of the Honey Bee Health Coalition which is working with beekeepers, farmers, researchers, conservation groups, governmental agencies, and a variety of others to collaboratively implement solutions to improve honey bee health. This coalition—and others like it—are focusing their efforts on finding solutions to address the multiple factors impacting honey bee health and ensure that honey bees can thrive.
from Webmd.com
Posted by Mike Urinzwenimana
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