Protecting Bees and Pollinators – Essential for Food Security

Pollinators, especially honeybees, play a critical role in food production – about one-third of the food we eat depends on their work. However, their populations are shrinking, posing a threat to agriculture and food supplies.

According to Valters Brusbārdis, chairman of the Latvian Beekeeping Association, pollinators are vital not only for harvesting crops but also for maintaining biodiversity. Without them, fruits would be scarce, and the variety of food products would significantly decrease. He notes that pollination contributes greatly to the economy, and a decline in bee numbers will be felt by consumers through higher food prices.

As an example of bees' importance, Brusbārdis cites almond plantations in the United States, which produce most of the world's almonds. This industry relies entirely on honeybee pollination, yet many bee colonies die due to pesticides and monocultures. Every year, billions of new bees are brought to these plantations to ensure the harvest.

In Latvia, the situation is less severe because there are no large monoculture plantations. However, intensive agriculture and pesticide use threaten all pollinators. Brusbārdis emphasizes that plant protection products should not be sprayed during flowering, but this proposal has not yet been adopted. Currently, insecticides may only be used at night, while fungicides and herbicides can also be applied during the day.

Honeybees serve as environmental indicators – if they are struggling, wild pollinators are even worse off. In Latvia, winter mortality of bee colonies is 14–15%, close to the critical threshold. Each year, about 15,000 colonies are lost, but beekeepers replace them, so the total number (around 110,000) remains stable.

Urban beekeeping is growing in cities like Riga, where parks and linden trees provide excellent honey production. Beekeepers are also active in other Latvian towns.

Everyone can help pollinators. Brusbārdis recommends sowing flowering plants such as bastard clover, phacelia, or bee balm, which attract bees, butterflies, and bumblebees. Even a small flower patch can become a food source for these insects. World Bee Day on May 20 reminds us of their importance – bees and other pollinators are responsible for every third meal we eat.