The crisis of the bees had been treated as a niche concern so far, but as the index of the UN food price reaches the highest increase of all time, is becoming urgent to know whether the situation poses a risk of the bees more comprehensive our food security.
Nearly a third of world agricultural production depends on animal pollination, mainly by bees. These foods provide 35% of our calories, most of our minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, and the foundations of the cuisine. But bees are dying or being killed, at an impressive rate.
The story of "colony collapse disorder (CCD, in English) is already well known to readers of the Daily Telegraph
. Some keep hives at home and have experienced this mysterious plague, and no doubt have strong opinions about whether it is caused by parasites or a virus or the use of pesticides that cause damage to the nervous system of young bees or a synergy of destructive forces acting together.
The crisis of bees has been treated as a niche concern so far, but as the index Price UN food reaches the highest level ever in real terms (not just nominal) and the scarcity of grain triggers revolutions in the Middle East, is becoming urgent to know whether the situation of bees risk depleting our already delicate margin global food security.
The agribusiness financier Rabobank said that the numbers of bee colonies in the United States that fail to survive each winter has grown from 30 to 35% of a historical model of 10%. The rate is 20% or more in much of Europe, and the same pattern is emerging in Latin America and Asia.
Albert Einstein, who liked to make bold statements (often wrong), famously said that "if the bee disappears from the surface of the globe, man would only have four years to live."
These "doomsday scenarios" have already passed, Rabobank said. The ears of corn, wheat and rice are all wind pollinated.
However, animal pollination is essential for hazelnut, melons and grain and has several roles in citrus fruits, apples, onions, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, zucchini, peppers, eggplant, avocado, cucumber, coconut, tomatoes and beans, and as coffee and cocoa.
This is part of the agricultural economy most valuable and fastest growing. Between 80 and 90% of bee pollination is domesticated. Moths and butterflies do not have the autonomy to penetrate large fields.
Reservoir bees is decreasing to the point where rates are dangerously out of kilter with the United States reaching the imbalance "more extreme". The production of pollinated crops has quadrupled since 1961, however, the bee colonies halved. The count of bees per hectare fell by almost 90%.
"Farmers have been able to produce colonies of bees with relatively minor so far, and no evidence of farming income being affected. The question is how long this situation can be stretched, "the report said.
Rabobank said that the colonies of bees in the United States was shrinking even before the coup of CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) because of cheap imports Asian honey bee hives have undermined the U.S.. Notice the parallel between the demise of the industry of rare earth metals in the U.S., put out of business when China flooded the world with cheaper materials in the 1990s. That's what happens when free Trade is managed carelessly.
China has its own problems. pesticides used in orchards of pears swept the bees in parts of Sichuan in the 1980s. Crops are now pollinated by hand, using brooms, a laborious process, since a colony of bees can pollinate up to 300,000 flowers per day.
Germany, France and Italy have banned certain pesticides, especially neonicotinoids (such as tobacco) that impair the memory of bees.
The British Beekeepers Association has called for an "urgent review" of these chemicals, fearing they might lose all the bees within a decade if not careful. American beekeepers have made similar statements. The Bee Research Laboratory, Department Agriculture of the United States found evidence that even low levels of these pesticides to reduce resistance to fungal pathogens of bees.
Documents leaked from the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that clothianidin used in corn seed is "highly toxic" may represent a "long-term risk" for the bees, and earlier tests were flawed.
Critics allege a cover-up: Rabobank said that we should be careful not to defame the agro-industry. The world needs food and fertilizer plants to continue to find ways to increase crop productivity, if we feed 70 million more mouths extra every year, and meet the demands of the diet revolution in Asia, offset water shortages in China and India, grain crops and divert a large chunk of the United States, Argentina and the European Union to make biofuel for cars .
With jaws closing on the production of food in the world from all sides, we have little margin for error. Scientists are coming to the rescue. The research is in the fungus Nosema and Varroa mite, but not fast enough.
Rabobank seeks a change of direction in global search, and meanwhile for tougher rules, so that beekeepers do not have to fight alone, starting with restrictions on pesticide use during daylight hours when bees are fueling.
atrophy of the bees is a more immediate threat than global warming and can be solved, yet that evolved little on the radar screen of politics. This is certainly a misconception.
Einstein was not always wrong.
Source: Telegraph Copied blog
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