World Bee Day: FAO emphasizes pollinator friendly agricultural production.
Marked under the theme “Bee engaged in pollinator-friendly agricultural production” the goal of this year’s World Bee Day is to create awareness on adoption of agricultural production practices that are friendly to the bee and other pollinators.
Bees and other pollinators including birds, bats and other insects play a critical role in agricultural production at global scale. There are about 20,000 bee species worldwide thus significantly contributing to global biodiversity. In Kenya, seven species of stingless bees and three subspecies of honeybees have been identified.
However, this vital insect that contributes to our agricultural production is under great threat across the globe with 87 of 115 leading food crops directly depending on pollination. Today bees, pollinators, and many other insects are declining in abundance largely attributed to the combined effects of climate change, intensive agriculture, monocultures, pesticides use, biodiversity loss and pollution, thus threatening global food and nutrition security.
This year’s World bee Day calls for pollinator friendly agricultural production. Pollination is not only critical for increased agricultural production, with close to 75% of the world’s crop plants depending on pollination services by these pollinators. Pollination is also essential for healthy forests, biodiversity, landscape integrity and the ecosystem wellbeing. The destruction and decline of pollinators therefore have a severe negative impact on both agriculture and forest sectors as well as human and environmental wellbeing.
The Assistant FAO Representative in charge of programmes, Hamisi Williams in his remarks reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to support the government in promoting beekeeping. “The World Bee Day provides an opportunity for all of us to promote actions that will protect and enhance pollinators and their ecosystems, improve their abundance and diversity,” he said, adding that FAO is working with partners to protect bees and other pollinators, through supporting capacity development of technical staff and local communities on bee keeping systems, empowerment of local communities to take an active role in sustainable management of forests and natural environments.
About World Bee Day
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is mandated by the UN to organize for this event in collaboration with national governments and partners. Countries were encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities to create awareness and promote conservation of bees and other pollinators.
This year’s annual celebrations were held in Marigat, Baringo County, which is popularly known for sweet acacia honey in Kenya and the base of KALRO’s Apiculture Research Institute.
During the event, actors in the apiculture industry including beekeepers, bee products processors, equipment manufacturers showcased their products at the exhibition stands in a bid to promote sustainable economic growth, not only in the beekeeping industry but also in the entire agricultural sector in sustainable advancement of food and nutrition security.
In a speech read on his behalf, the PS State Department for Livestock Development reiterated Kenya government’s support of the beekeeping industry while recognizing the important role played by development agencies and the private sector in improving the livelihoods of the beekeeping farming communities.
For Further Information, please contact:
Pauline Akolo
Communications Specialist
Email: [email protected]