20 May, World Honeybee Day

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed 20 May 2017 as “World Bee Day”. This day was chosen in memory of Anton Jansa, a pioneering Slovenian researcher who discovered many of the beekeeping techniques used today. Techniques used today by the vast majority. Furthermore, with this day, the UN recognises the importance of bees in pollination and their vital role in nature. It is also a recognition of the honey and other bee products that are available to us thanks to bees.

Summary: Every year on 20 May, bee day is celebrated to raise awareness of the importance of bees for the environment and the great contribution they make to our wellbeing. Small actions we can all take to defend nature and bees. Also, in our shop in Las Rozas you can support national beekeepers by buying multifloral and monofloral honeys from Spain.

Related articles: Where to buy quality raw honey? Raw unpasteurised honey

1. Raising awareness of the importance of pollinators

It is necessary to make society aware of the importance of pollinators, according to the UN. Therefore, the 20th of May was awarded as world bee day, the first pollinator. Therefore, a fantastic idea to raise awareness of the importance of bees on the planet. In this way, people know the problems that bees and other pollinators are suffering due to external causes. The problem is very serious in some parts of the world, as in some areas pollinators no longer exist and crops have to be hand-pollinated by man.

Pollination is mainly carried out by bees, but there are other pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, which carry out this work, which is so important for our ecosystem. Without them, the world would be very different and biodiversity would be greatly reduced.

Also, on our blog you will find a lot of articles that will give you great ideas to help bees. Fantastic ideas that will also bring great benefits to yourself.

a) Points to address

In order to raise awareness about bees and their importance for our wellbeing and the health of the planet, the following topics can be discussed:

1. The biology of bees: About the type of insects they are, characteristics functions in nature….
2. Beekeeping: What beekeeping consists of, the history of beekeeping, products obtained from it, jobs, the rural development it brings about, etc.
3. Bees and ecosystems: The importance of bees for our ecosystem. The importance of bees in the pollination of crops and wild flora, etc.
4. Problems of bees: The diseases that are killing them, the problem of globalisation, etc.

All these topics can be done in different didactic activities in order to make the population aware of the need to take care of bees and avoid their extinction.

2. Why World Bee Day?

According to the UN, World Bee Day is celebrated to achieve the following objectives:

1. To recognise the importance of caring for our planet and the role pollinators play in the planet and in sustainability.
2. To draw attention to the important role pollinators play in the ecosystem, so that politicians and the world’s population take action to protect them.
3. To highlight the need to implement regulations to stop the disappearance of pollinators worldwide.
4. Halt and reduce biodiversity loss. In addition, the continued degradation of ecosystems that is occurring across the planet. Also, to meet the Sustainable Development Goals imposed by the UN.
5. Reduce global food supply problems and eliminate hunger in all countries.
6. Recognise the role of bees and other pollinators in the world’s ecosystem.
7. Raise awareness of the importance of pollinators for our planet, for our quality of life and for the environment.

So, these are seven very interesting points that go in the right direction to help bees. Therefore, the aim is to find the solution to this problem that is doing us so much harm.

3. What the UN recommends

The UN gives the following proposals to protect bees:

1. Care for and reserve areas for the development of bees.
2. The creation of plant barriers.
3. Reducing or modifying pesticides that harm bees.
4. Protecting areas where bees and other pollinators develop naturally.
5. Increasing crops that are a source of food for bees.

These are therefore some of the measures proposed by the UN for the care of bees and other pollinators.

Also, all these points could be promoted in the municipalities so that all this magnificent action is carried out in as many places as possible. Not only on World Bee Day.

4. How can a private person help?

If you want to help and support the bees, we have the following suggestions for you:

1. Know and inform yourself about bees, honey and the rest of the products of the beehive: The more you know about them, the more you will love them and the more you will take care of them.
2. Buy national honey and if possible organic honey: By buying national and organic honey, you will help local beekeepers. In addition, you will help the bees of that territory.
3. Avoid using pesticides at home and in your garden: Many of them end up on the bees, which eventually kill them.
4. Plant honey-producing plants in your garden, terrace or on your rooftop: rosemary, thyme, lavender, heather…
5. Ask your local council to plant honey plants that help to feed the bees.

So, these would be some of the things that each individual could do to take care of the bees.

5. Cooperation with NGOs

Another way in which you can help and collaborate to save bees and nature in general is by collaborating with NGOs. Nowadays there are countless NGOs that collaborate with beekeeping and the care of nature. NGOs that you can join and collaborate with.

However, before collaborating with any NGO, it is advisable to investigate who its founders are. Since these are their main supporters and any other important information about them. We may find ourselves with unpleasant surprises and be collaborating wholeheartedly with an NGO that really has particular interests.

6. The “bee better” award

The Xerces Society, which has received support with a 2016 Conservation Grant from the Natural Resources Conversation Service of the US Department of Agriculture (NRCS), has prepared the “bee better” certificate to identify products that have been produced in habitats where bees thrive. Therefore, with this certificate, the aim is to promote habitats that improve the welfare of bees and prevent their disappearance.

Currently, in 2021 there is no more talk of this fantastic idea that was developed in the United States in 2016. Let’s hope it goes ahead and we all continue together to help the survival of bees around the world.

7. Save the Bees and Farmers” Initiative

In 2022, the “Save the Bees and Farmers” initiative aims to make agriculture more bee-friendly. The initiative has reached more than one million signatures from EU citizens, exactly 1,054,973 signatures from all 27 EU countries. Of all the countries, Germany was the most active, with just over half of the signatures. In Spain, the campaign was less successful, with just over 40,000 signatures.

The initiative began collecting signatures in September 2021 and was given only a one-year deadline. Its aim was to obtain legal measures to phase out synthetic pesticides in EU agricultural fields. They propose to reach 80 % by 2030 and 100 % by 2035.

With these targets, they hope to achieve a more sustainable agriculture in Europe and to help save bees from extinction.

8. Support from Pope Francis

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “Save the bees and farmers” has received the support of the current Pope Francis. This initiative aims to protect the climate and preserve creation. This was announced on the Italian radio station RAi and was emphasised by Annenmarie Gluder of the citizens’ committee supporting this citizens’ initiative.

Furthermore, this campaign is led by an alliance of civil society organisations. All of them focused on environment, health, agriculture and beekeeping.

So, a fantastic initiative to defend our environment and save bees from extinction. Apart from the already proclaimed date of the world bee day.

Source:

Frankfurt Allgemein Zeitung.

World bee day, La Razón newspaper.