What is World Bee Day?

The 20th May is World Bee Day. A day designated by the United Nations to raise awareness of the importance of bees and all other pollinators, that are increasingly under threat from human activities.

Pollination is a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems and key to conserving biodiversity. But did you know that 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land?

Three out of four crops across the globe producing fruits, or seeds for use as human food depend, at least in part, on bees and other pollinators. 

Bees are under threat. Present species extinction rates are 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal due to human impacts. Close to 35 percent of invertebrate pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, and about 17 percent of vertebrate pollinators, such as bats, face extinction globally.* Source The UN.

We need to act now.

Individually we can all help with some simple steps... 

Know the source. 

The simple act of sourcing directly from a producer and choosing local quality produce over major imported goods where you can, is one of the most important steps.  So if you are a customer, thank you for being a continued part of our community and supporting the bees by buying our British-produced Honey products. 

Planting a diverse set of native plants, which flower at different times of the year and take part in No-Mow May if you can. We'll have more on planting ideas in an upcoming newsletter, specifically for smaller and challenging spaces to help attract pollinators.

Buy products from sustainable agriculture practices, avoiding pesticides, herbicides or fungicides in the garden.

Make a simple bee 'water fountain' by simply leaving a bowl of water outside.

Raise awareness around us - in any way we can - every individual voice can help contribute towards change for good.

Sponsor a hive or support a focused charity, such as Bees for Development - a ground-breaking, international charity which develops beekeeping skills in the poorest communities of the world, giving people a reliable, sustainable income for life. The charity reaches over 130 countries, helping over 2,500 people every year, they use local skills, local materials and local bees to bring benefits for people, bees and the environment. Find out more.

The London Honey Company are long-term supporters of Bees for Development through the sales of our Zambian Organic Honey and the annual fundraising Bee Garden Party and auction.