Syngenta, Bayer, Dow, Monsanto, and DuPont control/own nearly 100% of the world market for genetically modified pesticides, plants and seeds.

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To be realistic, how do you compete against these giants if they are controlling nearly everything? Selling pesticides is, after all, good business for them, especially when you think that the chemical industry could afford to spend $11.2 million in the last four years on public relations initiatives to say it’s not their fault that bee numbers are dwindling. So we know whose fault it is!

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Crop pollination is needed, but are we going to continue doing this at the expense of our colonies health? Pollination is credited with adding massive amounts to the value of crops across the world. 

We need to stand together. This could simply mean that we individually start to boycott them, moving towards a more ecological farming future. Buying local from trusted sources, growing your own vegetables, saving your own seed, starting to read labels to actually see what you eat, being content sometimes with a little less variety (for those that make food their god) and many other such practices can have a massive positive effect on our natural environment over time.

Then on the other hand, some producers have swallowed the bait + the hook completely... money is the boss and the big companies know this. Some mega producers believe that ecological farming cannot feed the world and their perspective comes from that handful of Godless companies that own and control everything.

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We believe that the earth will continue to decay further. If you disagree, simply ask yourself the question: was our natural habitat better or worse 50 years ago? Of course better! The human and all his greed is to blame, and greed will not go away, everyday it gets worse. Giving nature the respect it needs is vital for the bees and us and at best this will help to slow down the deterioration of things on planet earth.

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How can beekeepers contribute?

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Urban beekeeping is becoming a trendy thing (a good thing for the most part), but let's also be careful not to overpopulate our suburbs...why? Well, like we mentioned earlier, native/wild colonies also exist in suburban areas and the competition for food could destroy other bee species. Another issue when it comes to urban beekeeping is safety (especially with our aggressive African bee species) and should be carefully considered. A course in basic beekeeping is highly recommended!! If you don't want to keep honey bees, one can still encourage native pollinator species. Many species of solitary bees do not require sophisticated hives/equipment to maintain. Simple habitats from scrap wood can be built and can increase the lushness of your garden or productivity of vegetables.

 

So we know that in most parts of South Africa there are fewer bees than in previous centuries and that is precisely where keeping of bees can have a positive impact on restoring and improving the quality of vegetation...but, Commercial beekeepers (who do so for a living) are a dying breed and one can see why. The future of beekeeping for a living is under serious threat. But if you are prepared to get your hands dirty, work hard day and night, get down on your knees often, and not focus too much on the profit margins, then it can still be sustainable (and what more do you need than this?).

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A healthy beekeeping industry is invaluable to a healthy agricultural economy.

Think of bees as "livestock" not wildlife

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A lack of flowers is one of the main factors behind the decline in bee populations world wide, but in South Africa the problem is more the lack of wild colonies. Although compared to the rest of the world we are still fortunate to have many wild colonies, the signs of fewer bees are evident all over. Therefore, keeping bees in the right areas could greatly improve those areas affected over the last 100 years by vandalism of wild colonies, deforestation, heavy pesticides, and before our modern day era, the hunter gatherers.

It is vitally important that wild areas are not overpopulated with honey bees. That will result in squeezing out the native/wild pollinators and effectively leave those plants dependent on them with little or no pollination.  

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Doing nothing will not help the current situation.

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If you are a land-owner, cover crops that are beneficial to bees can also be introduced in a crop rotation cycle, this will help  the bees tremendously, and/or consider helping by keeping some managed bees on your property. Choose a beekeeper with some ethical values, evaluate his procedures, how he works on YOUR land, and his communication skills. A good beekeeper will continually inspect the hives and respect your crop / natural vegetation and its needs. If the beekeeper for some reason does not follow certain standard beekeeping or other farming principles then consider rather not having him there. Call on some of the other landowners with whom he has agreements and ask about the person/s beforehand. It is still your land and if you want to be part of a culture where you play your part this is important.

A beekeeper that works the hives him/herself or the commercial beekeeper that works the hives himself, together with his staff, is normally the cream of the crop. Beware of the office monkeys that you only see on nice pictures, but their staff knows more about what is going on than they themselves (the more experienced a beekeeper is the better, but we need to also allow someone with less experience to be able to prove themselves).

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We can end this conversation with the fact that both consumers and producers can do something. Most consumers can also become mini producers of many things... or is the TV, cellphone and internet more important?  It is within easy reach for us to distance ourselves from those things that are within plain sight not sustainable for the future. The question is how important is this to us currently? Will we wake up now...or only in 50 years when it is completely too late?