GALWAY–As mega-farming and globalized agribusiness become the norm in modern society, it’s easy to overlook one of the most vital component of agriculture: bees.  Many humans are willing to casually swat at these black and yellow insects, but few realize the invaluable role they play in commerce, agriculture, and even personal diets around the world.

By transferring pollen from flower to flower in their daily search for nectar, bees help plants produce the vast majority of fruit and vegetables humans harvest.  Without bees, most of the produce in grocery stores would be a thing of the past, and the booming business of agriculture would collapse.  This dire situation may seem unlikely, but the expansion of large scale commercial beekeeping (and its harmful side-effects) may make it a reality.

I sat down with Farial English, an avid Galway beekeeper, to discuss the role of bees in modern society and the threats bees face in the modern day.

Joe: Thank you for meeting with me today, Mrs. English.  I understand you’re a very active beekeeper in the area. Can you tell me about your experience as a beekeeper?

Farial:  I’ve always been interested in bees and beekeeping, so when we moved to this rural area about six years ago I looked into keeping my own hives.  I started out with two colonies about four years ago and have since grown my apiary to six.  I’ve read extensively about beekeeping, I’m involved in the Southern Adirondack Beekeepers Association (SABA), and have attended several regional and national beekeeping conferences.

J: How important are bees to farming and agribusiness? 

F:  Bees are absolutely vital to the environment and our food supply. Roughly 75% of crops grown for food worldwide depend on pollinators.  Honey bees, some of the most prolific pollinators, are even more important than butterflies and humming birds and other pollinators because they are used on a commercial scale to pollinate food crops.

J: In the Galway area, bees must be pretty important then?

F: Oh, definitely.  Being a rural area with a lot of farming, Galway is definitely dependent on bees and pollinators.  Without them, there wouldn’t be nearly as many farmers markets or successful small family farms.

J: You often hear that pollinators—and most wildlife—are facing challenges in an industrialized world.  What are the biggest issues bees are facing in the modern day? Are they out of the ordinary?

F: They’re out of the ordinary, no question.  On a national level, the negative impact of large scale commercial beekeeping represents one of the most significant challenges bees face.  While commercial beekeeping benefits agriculture and the farming industry, it’s having a lot of harmful effects on bees.  Honey bees are being trucked from state to state to pollinate crops, and this stress is having a very negative impact on colonies’ health and survival across the States. Not only that, but most of the commercial crops bees pollinate are sprayed with pesticides, are genetically modified, and are full of chemicals.  This just compounds the damage to colonies.

J: Why is moving itself stressful for bees?

F: Well commercial bees are trucked around the country based on which crops need to be pollinated, whether its peaches in Georgia or blueberries Upstate.  They’re expected to pollinate fields full of a single crop. Not only are they unable to settle into a single environment, their diets become extremely restrictive and suboptimal for the hive. Like all living creatures, bees need variety in their diets—not a monoculture.  It would be like a human surviving on chicken for months on end.

J: What actually happens to the bee colonies as a result of stress and poor diets?

F:  Colonies’ immune systems become very weak.  That’s the worst side-effect.  Bees contract diseases and succumb to parasites much more easily, and they have a harder time recovering.  As a result, commercial hives die at a far more rapid rate than natural or local hives.

J: In comparison to the whole pollinator population, are commercial bees a significant portion?

F: Well they’re very significant mainly due to their impact on agriculture as a whole, not necessarily their numbers. They influence agricultural commerce, food prices, and the volume of crops being produced. Even on a local level in Galway and the surrounding area, commercial beekeeping may not be a part of daily life, but its impact on food prices and the types of produce offered at supermarkets is very tangible.

J: So if commercial beekeeping continues in its current manner, what would be the consequences?

F: It would be far more difficult—and expensive—for commercial beekeepers to keep their hives alive, not to mention pollinate most of the fruits and vegetables we take for granted in supermarkets.  As a result, prices of produce would significantly increase.  People would become more and more dependent on seasonally-available produce, locally-grown food, and farmers markets.

J: Would Galway feel these effects?

F: The consequences would be universal.  We’re a rural area with a lot of local farms, but I don’t think anyone buys exclusively from farmers markets.  People still buy most of their food at Wal-Mart and Price Chopper and Hannaford, and that’s where the impact will be felt. Plus, if prices rise in stores, farmers’ markets will likely increase their prices as well.

J: So where do local organizations like Southern Adirondack Beekeepers Association fit in?

F:  Groups like SABA raise awareness on a local level about the importance of the honey bee.  SABA educates the public about the impact bees have on everyday life and the need to protect them.  It’s really a way for local beekeepers to work together to encourage and preserve local beekeeping.

J: For non-beekeepers in the area, is there any way to help honey bees?

F: Try to refrain from spraying pesticides and over-using fertilizers.  Also, people can plant “bee friendly” plants like flowering crops, fruits trees, wild flowers, et cetera to give local bees a varied diet.  Make sure you buy honey that is local, too. It’ll support local beekeepers, and local honey is better for your health anyway!

Thank you for your time!

Photo Credit: Joe English