Food chain under threat over mystery honey bee deaths

HONEY bees are dying off in many parts of the world, threatening the production of many foods and flowers, but nobody knows why.

The European Commission has launched a series of actions to discover the extent of the problem in the EU.

In the US, more than one-third of all colonies were lost last winter, with some beekeepers reporting 90% of their hives disappearing or dead.

There, experts say about 60% of the deaths were due to bad weather that results in less food for the bees. Other causes may be pesticides and fungicides sprayed on flowers and flowering trees that poison the pollen making it indigestible for bees.

In Europe the extent of the problem is still not known, but the 700,000 beekeepers in the Union report severe pressure on their hives. And, on top of that, the numbers of farmers keeping bees is declining which, according to Health and Consumer Policy commissioner, John Dalli, could have a serious impact on food production given that so many plants and crops are pollinated by bees.

In all, 76% of food production and 84% of plant species depend on pollination by bees, according to the European Parliament’s agriculture committee who called for action on the problem. The Commission is launching a pilot surveillance programme to estimate the extent of bee mortalities; has set up a special laboratory to work on bee health; to provide bee health training for member states’ officials; tp approve pesticides at EU level only if they are proven safe for honeybees; and to fund research projects on the problem.