World Bee Day took place on May 20th and has been celebrated for the last five years. The aim is to dedicate a day to help raise awareness of our hard-working pollinators. Essentially, bees are important and vital for food security, biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Food Security
Bees help pollinate most of the crops we eat. Bees and other pollinators are responsible for the pollination of almost 75% of the plants that produce up to 90% of the world’s food.
Biodiversity
There are over 20,000 bee species that exist across the world. Ireland is home to 99 bee species, the Honey Bee (which is farmed), 77 Solitary bee species and 21 Bumble-bee species. Bees are a key component of our wildlife and one of the hardest working and least appreciated naturally occurring workforces. A study from the Department of the Environment found that bees are worth €53m a year to the economy.
Ecosystem Health
Without bees our ecosystems are at risk. Bees act as indicators of the state of the environment. Their presence or absence tells us what is happening in the environment, the quality of the environment and provide insights into corrective measures to restore ecosystem health.
For more information visit: 2022 World Bee Day
