Bees and other pollinators finally have the place they deserve, says Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister

The road to proclaim World Bee Day came to an end today in New York, when the General Assembly adopted a resolution setting 20 May as the date to celebrate these tiny helpers of food security, nutrition, and biodiversity.

“Bees and other pollinators finally have the place they deserve in view of their importance for the world and for humanity. The proclamation of World Bee Day proves that the will to take action does exist. I am happy that realization of the importance of bees for sustainable development and the future of humanity in general has reflected in the consensual support to the resolution,”said the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dejan Židan, that co-hosted with FAO a reception and exhibition at the United Nations to celebrate the proclamation of World Bee Day.

Formal discussions on World Bee Day began when Slovenia initially presented the proposal at the FAO Regional Conference for Europe in 2016. In 2017, the discussions then moved to the FAO Committee on Agriculture in Rome and finally to the FAO Conference last July, which requested the UN General Assembly to proclaim the observance. Following consultations at the Second Committee, the resolution establishing World Bee Day was finally adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December.

FAO welcomed the adoption and the recognition to the importance of bees.

“Bees play a crucial role in increasing crop yields and promoting food security and nutrition. Without them, we could lose a variety of food such as potatoes, pepper, coffee, pumpkins, carrots, apples, almonds, tomatoes, just to name a few. In short, without bees, a world without hunger cannot be achieved,” said Marianna Kovacs, Senior Liaison Officer, representing the FAO Liaison Office to the United Nations at the exhibit.

Bees and other pollinators are vital for food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, the environment and biodiversity conservation, as well as many other dimensions of global sustainable development. FAO estimates that out of some one hundred crop species, which provide 90 percent of food worldwide, 71 are bee-pollinated. Pollination also provides important ecosystem services that contribute positively to biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity and play a critical role as a bio-indicator of the state of health of the environment.

Despite its relevance, bees and other pollinators are threatened by climate change, changes in land use and landscape structure, intensive agricultural practices and use of pesticides, as well as pests and diseases.

World Bee Day recognizes the importance of these tiny helpers and will help increase awareness of the need to protect them,” concluded Marianna Kovacs.

As of 2018, World Bee Day will be celebrated annually on 20 May.