Dear friends

Here in UK it has been a late spring, with many beekeepers reporting that half or more of their honey bee colonies have died – certainly we had a terrible summer last year, followed by a long winter and cold spring.

We cannot explain exactly why so many bees have died – but it is not just bees, and it is not just this year – two thirds of all of our pollinating insects are in decline, with birds and other species higher up the food chain declining at similar rates. There is a complex suite of reasons. One major reason is that we are poisoning insects - and destroying the food chain - with the insecticides that we use in intensive agriculture.

Insecticides are commonly used worldwide, and there are some areas in the world where wild pollinators have been already wiped out. One of these is Sichuan Province in China, where the bumblebees have been killed. Every year in spring time 40,000 farmers have now to hand pollinate their apple and pear trees.

Of course, most people are not interested in insects and remain oblivious to their importance. So beekeepers have responsibility to alert everyone to the danger of losing our pollinators. For this reason, British beekeepers organised a protest against neonicotinoids in London in April, and here in Monmouth, Bees for Development also took to the streets – pictured below.

In April European scientists at the Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that imidacloprid and two other neonicotinoids must not be used on crops that are attractive to honey bees, and this ban will be implemented across the EU from 1 November 2013. This is good news, and we hope that more nations and regions will implement similar bans. Inevitably it is beekeepers who must take responsibility for raising awareness and fighting to prohibit these toxic chemicals.

Raising awareness – BfD joins the protest against the use of neonicotinoids

PHOTO © BfD

BfD Trust (UK Registered Charity1078803) works to assist beekeepers in developing countries.

Support: Bees for Development Trust gratefully acknowledge Marr Munning Trust, Panta Rhea Foundation, E H Thorne (Beehives) Ltd, Trade Advance Ltd, The Waterloo Foundation, and the many groups and individuals who support our work. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to help. See our website for how to become a Supporter.