In order to feed the growing world population, we need more and more food, which must be diverse, balanced and of good quality to ensure human development and well-being. Bees are renowned for their role in providing high-quality food (honey, royal jelly and pollen) as well as other products used in healthcare and other industries (beeswax, propolis and bee venom). But bees do so much more! The greatest contribution of bees and other pollinators is the pollination of almost three quarters of all plants, which produce 90% of the world's food. A third of the world's food production depends on bees, or every third spoonful of food depends on pollination.
Sustainable agriculture and income
In the past fifty years, the amount of crops dependent on pollinators (such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and oilseeds) has increased threefold. Bees play an important role in the volume of agricultural production. Effective pollination increases the quantity of agricultural crops, improves their quality and increases the resistance of plants to pests. Crops that depend on pollination are an important source of income for farmers, especially small and family farms in developing countries. They provide jobs and income for millions of people. According to an international study Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platforms on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services According to a 2016 study by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the annual global food production directly dependent on pollination is worth between $235 and $577 billion. In addition, crops that require pollination are an important source of jobs and income for farmers, especially small-scale and family farms in developing countries.
Biodiversity and environmental protection
Bees play an important role in maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity in nature. They provide one of the most recognizable ecosystem services – pollination, which makes food production possible. In doing so, they protect and care for ecosystems, animal and plant species, and thus contribute to genetic and biological diversity. Bees are also an indicator of environmental conditions. Their presence, absence, or abundance tells us when something is happening to the environment and that action needs to be taken. By observing the development and health of bees, it is possible to identify changes in the environment and implement the necessary protective measures in a timely manner.
In 2014, the president of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association, Boštjan Noč, initiated a United Nations declaration of May 20th for World Bee Day. The state of Slovenia fully supported the initiative and, after a demanding three-year process, the UN adopted a resolution on May 20th as World Bee Day on December 20th, 2017. The initiative was also unanimously supported by the global beekeeping organization Apimondia in South Korea in 2015.
Why May 20th?
Anton Janša (1734–1773), a Slovenian beekeeper, the founder of modern beekeeping and one of the greatest bee experts of his time, was born on May 20. Janša was the first modern beekeeping teacher in the world and was appointed by the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa as a permanent teacher of beekeeping at the new Beekeeping School in Vienna. He became famous before his death in 1773. After 1775, all state beekeeping teachers had to teach beekeeping according to his content and teaching method.
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