In order to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day. World Bee Day was proposed by Slovenia in April 2015 when the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association presented the initiative to the United Nations about celebrating the day on May 20. Slovenia is one of the few countries in the world with the highest number of beekeepers and the only country that has adopted legal measures aimed at protecting bees.
With an expected, rapid increase in human population in the next decade, there will be greater demand for food rich in the micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals required for a balanced diet. The main purpose of the events is to spread awareness of the significance of bees and other pollinators for our survival. Over the past 50 years, the amount of crops that depend on pollinators (i.e. fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and oilseeds) has tripled. Bees play an important role in relation to the scope of agricultural production. Effective pollination increases the amount of agricultural produce, improves their quality and enhances plants’ resistance to pests. Furthermore, agricultural plants that require pollination are an important source of jobs and income for farmers, especially small farmers and family-owned farms in developing countries.
Bees immensely contribute to the agricultural system, which is a major source of employment and income for farmers, particularly in developing countries. Moreover, they help these households in poverty reduction and hunger alleviation contributing towards the achievement of the global vision 2030. Bees are renowned for their role in providing high-quality food (honey, royal jelly and pollen) and other products used in healthcare and other sectors (beeswax, propolis, honey bee venom). However, the work of bees entails much more!
The bees are wonderful builders. A bee-hive is a good piece of architecture. It has a large number of cells in it. Some of the cells are used for storing up honey. Other cells are used as bedrooms and sitting rooms. Long passages connect the cells. They are connected in such a way that coming out and going in is quite easy. Bee-hives are generally made on the branches of trees. But sometimes they are also made on the walls and window tops of the house.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
