Famously known for producing honey, bees are also responsible for something many of us take for granted, pollination. In recent times the world has been hit with an epidemic of decline of honeybee colonies. This phenomenon is now recognised around the world as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).  Winter 2006 beekeepers in USA and Europe were reporting losses of 30-90 percent of their hives. The cause of this decline is in part stress caused by the parasitic Varroa mite but there are other factors behind the rapid disappearance of bees which are uncertain and a mystery to scientists.

CCD raises many concerns globally. A major one is the threat to food security. What makes this alarming is that of more than 100 crop species that provide 90% of food supplies for 146 countries, 71 are bee-pollinated . In the absence of bees,  we would see less food overall and much more limited variety.

The other major concern is the severely adverse effect on some important parts of the rural economy. According to FAO, the monetary value of the bee pollinating is approximately $200b worldwide. The effects of CCD are catastrophic for many fruitgrowers. It can affect productivity and the livelihoods of many farmers around the world who are depend on bee pollination for their crops.

The phenomenon of CCD is not seen to be trivial and efforts are being made to understand it. Governments around the globe are investing large amounts of money into research to learn more about the mysterious collapses of bee colonies.

[1] Pesticide issues in the works: Honeybee colony collapse disorder. EPA. 2011
[2] Initial Survey of Good Pollination Practices. FAO. 2008.