Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor
As Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Bee Day, it is still important to place all conservation efforts on the front seat — to save bees from extinction.

Very often we tend to think and place more emphasis on the sweet and sticky business of the global honey industry which contributes over US$200 billion to the global economy through crop pollination and production of honey, beeswax and other bee products, without raising awareness on protecting these crucial insects.

Bees are under serious threat and if nothing is done to save them, it will be difficult to continue harnessing the benefits of the honeybee industry in Zimbabwe and across the continent to help lift the majority of people out of poverty.

Rapid urbanisation, deforestation and increasing use of chemicals in the agricultural sector is posing a serious threat to the survival of bees.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has released reports showing that bee populations — our natural pollinators — have fallen drastically around the world, largely due to intensive agriculture, the use of pesticides and climate change.

Most crops rely on pollination and dwindling bee populations should be of major concern to Zimbabwe and all African countries, which depend on bees to fight hunger in the growing human population.

Honey bees, which play a key role in pollinating a wide variety of food crops, are in sharp decline in the United States, due to parasites, disease and pesticides, said a federal report released yesterday.

Experts say genetics and poor nutrition are hurting the species, which help farmers produce crops for the survival of our populations.

They say honey bee colonies have been dying and the number of colonies has more than halved since the 1950s.

The decline has raised fears about if honey bees will fulfil their crucial role in pollinating crops that play a role in food and beverage systems in Zimbabwe and Africa.

Agriculture is Zimbabwe’s mainstay and bees are a crucial component to this sector.

Pollination demands have increased so much in recent years as Zimbabwe steps up efforts to spur its agricultural production ranging from crops, fruit, flower and other domestic and wild food crops.

All these, depend heavily on bee colonies to thrive.

Parasites and climate change related problems have complicated the issues. Bee diseases have been the single biggest cause of colony losses in Zimbabwe and most other parts of Africa.

Pesticide effects on bee colonies from cotton spraying and other crops have decimated bee populations in some parts of the country.

It is worrying that diseases are wiping out African bee colonies in the southern and western parts of Zimbabwe, threatening honey production, the livelihood of bee keepers and possibly crops that need bees for pollination.

Local bee keepers in Bulilima district, about 85km west of Plumtree border town, have in the past reported outbreaks that had reduced honey yields and impacted negatively on their livelihoods.

Experts say more than 70 percent of the world’s major crops rely on bee pollination to produce fruits and seeds.

They say bees also provide much needed extra income for smallholder farmers, who sell honey, wax and other products.

Studies by entomologists also show that honeybee populations across the world are struggling to overcome attacks from parasites such as the varroa mite and infection with diseases, as well as the dreaded colony collapse disorder that has decimated bee populations in the US and parts of Europe.

Fears now abound that the Cape bee (Apis capensis) from South Africa could destroy local bee colonies and threaten the livelihood of an estimated 50 000 small scale honey farmers in Zimbabwe if nothing is done to strengthen monitoring mechanisms in the country.

Cape bees can paralyse the local African bee populations.

The bee keeping industry is a small, but important industry in Zimbabwe which contributes thousands of dollars directly into the economy from bee products.

Many of our local communities depend on them for survival and we need to promote efforts to protect the local apiary industry by strengthening major bee pests and disease quarantine and surveillance measures.

More research is needed to find out how much pesticide exposure bees get and their effects to help inform our strategies to conserve bees.

Well-managed bee farming in Zimbabwe and other African countries could become a pin-up for ethical industries — a business that protects a crucial pollinator, preserves forests, and provides sustainable income and business opportunities.

Intensive expansion of research, development and monitoring is also critical for the survival of the honeybee industry in Africa.

Experts recommend the setting up of a comprehensive and updated register/database of bee producers/apiaries for ease of monitoring and compliance to set minimum standards.

Value chain-based training for players to improve quality assurance and sanitary controls and the establishment of active and passive surveillance programmes is also advocated.

In the last decade, Zimbabwe registered a significant increase in the number of bee-keepers and hives.

Apiculturalists estimate that Zimbabwe produces some 427 000 tonnes of honey yearly, generating millions of dollars.

Zimbabwe needs about 447 000 tonnes of honey a year and on average imports about 20 000 tonnes over four years.

The country has in the past set a target of 500 000 litres of honey to be produced per annum.

For this sweet deal to be attained, there is need to grow more trees, halt the further loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystems.

More trees mean more forage, or food, for the bees.

This could result in richer honey harvests, providing a financial incentive for maintaining our ecosystems as well as improving the livelihood options of our smallholder farmers.

And, when bee keeping is done properly, it means helping to restore the environment and livelihood options for the majority of the poor.