World Bee Day 2021

World Bee Day 2021

FAO Director-General Dr QU Dongyu,

Opening Remarks

20 May 2021

 

 

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. This is the second year in a row that we are celebrating World Bee Day virtually.
2. With this format we can spread this year’s theme ‘Bee Engaged – Build Back Better for Bees’ to an even wider and more diverse global audience.
3. To reach the objectives of the 2030 Agenda of eradicating hunger and poverty we need agri-food systems that are MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.
4. Bees play a major role in that.
5. They are important to our food security, nutrition, environment and overall wellbeing.
6. As FAO is leading the global celebrations of the 2021 International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, it is particularly important to highlight the role of pollination for fruits and vegetables.
7. Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely or in part, on pollination.
8. It is estimated that the value of pollination services to global food production is worth up to USD 600 billion annually.
9. Bees are not only important for the pollination services they provide, but also for the honey they produce.
10. Honey has been used by people for millennia as a delicacy and in traditional medicine.
11. Beekeeping can help diversify livelihoods of smallholder farmers by creating an extra income source.
12. In many places, bees are culturally significant and have strong linkages to indigenous peoples and local communities.
13. Unfortunately, bees and other pollinators are declining in many regions, putting livelihoods and the delivery of pollination services at risk.
14. Together with our partners, we are focusing efforts on the conservation of pollinators and bees, recognizing the important contributions they make to sustainable agriculture, people and the planet.
15. These partnerships support FAO’s work as a facilitator of the International Pollinator Initiative.
16. We also work on bees, beekeeping, and pollinators within our One Health Approach, where we focus on the health of people, animals, and the environment.
17. By signing a Memorandum of Understanding with APIMONDIA – the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Association – today, we will strengthen our collaboration for sustainable beekeeping.
18. During this year’s celebration, we will look at the impact of pollinators on agri-food systems and how we can address the threats bees and pollinators face.
19. So, let’s work together – let’s “bee” engaged and build back better for bees!
20. I wish you a productive World Bee Day!
21. Thank you.