Bees play an integral role in human society and ecosystems. Often taken for granted, this species of insect plays a more important role in agriculture than all man-made machinery and scientific technology combined. Some fast facts:
- Over 70% of our food crops need insects for pollination
- Bees contribute an estimated $1.3-1.7 billion annually to increased crop production of canola, blueberries, apples and raspberries in Canada alone!
- Every THIRD mouthful of food is produced by bees pollinating crops
- The worldwide value of bees as crop pollinators has been estimated to be about US$92 billion
Finally, scientists suggest that current estimates of bee species’ extinction risks are underestimated by as much as 50 percent.
“Too often, we take for granted the goods, services and amenity value that nature freely provides us. They risk being lost as a consequence. We can and we must do things differently. With a new way of thinking we can nurture them.” – The Rt Hon. Caroline Spelman MP (Bumblebee Conservation Trust)