On this World Bee Day let’s take a pledge to save the bees. Read ahead to know more about the day, its importance and a case study.
World Bee Day-Definition
World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20. On this day Anton Jansa, the pioneer of beekeeping was born. He was born in the year 1834.
The purpose of the International Bee Day is to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators for the ecosystem.
The UN Member States approved Slovenia’s proposal to proclaim it. Thus, it is celebrated on 20th May.
Role of Bees
Bees and other pollinators contribute significantly to the pollination of flowering plants. It affects the world’s food security.
One-third of all food produced in the world depends on pollination. Thus a decrease in bee population would result in food production decline.
Bees not only ensure food security but they also contribute to sustainable agricultural production.
Pollination-dependent crops are an important source of income to small families.
Maintaining ecological Balance
Bees play an important role in plant pollination. Bees are thus essential to ecological balance.
In the last 50 years, change in farming method destroyed many plants. Many of the flowering plants are also destroyed due to it.
It has reduced the chances of a bee’s survival.
1.An increase of monoculture
2. Modified and intensified technology had destroyed condition for the survival of the bees.
This had damaged the conditions for survival. Bees are on the verge of extinction.
History of World Bee Day
The United Nations has declared 20th May as International Bee Day. It was first in the year 2018. Originally initiated by the Beekeeping Association and supported by the Slovenian Government.
World Bee aims to help save the declining bee population and promote Slovenia’s beekeeping. In other words, it promotes the preservation of bees and their importance.
Case study of Slovenia
Humans have been drawn to honey bees since early history. Slovenians have long been a nation of beekeepers capita.
Slovenia is one of the top countries in the world in terms of the number of beekeepers. Mainly they harvest their honey.
Celebration at Slovenia
The rich beekeeping tradition has resulted in a number of Slovenia’s uniqueness. It includes painted beehive panels, bee houses and traditional beehives.
An essential part of Slovenian cultural heritage is simple motifs from everyday life painted in beehive panels.
At first, beekeepers placed these on beehives to differentiate them. However, nowadays they are mostly used to make the apiaries more attractive.
Importance of Bee Day
Bearing in mind the outlined independence of Slovenian people and honeybees. Slovenia is the only country in the European Union to have introduced legal protection for its bees.
It has also prohibited the use of certain harmful pesticides affecting the bees.
Origin of Bee Day at Slovenia
In 2015 the Republic of Slovenia, with the initiative of the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association.
They began procedures for declaration of World Bee Day. Also, they proposed a resolution underlining the importance of bees and other pollinators.
This procedure was successfully concluded on 20 December 2017. Along with the adoption of the World Bee Day Resolution by the UN General Assembly.
Why in the month of May?
May is the month with the greatest activity in the growth of bees in the northern hemisphere. While in the southern hemisphere, it is harvest time. May is characterized as a month of honey.
A pioneer of modern beekeeping Anton Jansa was also born in May. Anton was one of the greatest experts on Bees of the time.
Api-Tourism at Slovenia
The term Api-tourism means Sustainable approach to tourism. It promotes green destinations, travel and agriculture.
The Slovenian Beekeepers Association has developed trips to combine their rich beekeeping tradition. It includes eco-friendly values like honey, tasting trails, apitherapy tours and many more.
This also includes exploration of Slovenia’s west landscapes. It stretches from the Julian Alps to the Pannonian Basin.
Theme
“Save the Bees” was the theme for 2019, World Bee Day. Raising awareness and the need to preserve bees and other pollinators was the aim.
Read also: World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2020
Why are Bees so important?
A single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day. Wind the source pollination for grains. Bees pollinate fruits, nuts and vegetables.
Bees pollinate seventy out of the top 100 human fold crops supplies about 90 per cent of the world’s nutrition.
Globally there are more honey bees than other types of bee and pollinating insects. It is the world’s most important pollinator of food crops.
According to the estimation one-third of the food we consume each day relies on pollination. These bees are very important to us.
Save the Bees
In a colony of some 50,000 bees, a few thousand bees may die each day of natural causes. Offset in the colony of as some 2000 worker bees hatch each day.
Without bees, they would set fewer seeds and would have lower reproductive success. This will alter ecosystems.
Conclusion
Beyond plants, birds would lose their prey in the event of a die-off. This would also impact natural systems and food webs.
As per estimation if bees disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live. Therefore, it is very important to save the bees.