Honey Bee Pollination

Approximately one-third of the food and beverages produced rely on honey bee pollination. As the honey bee population declines as a result of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a phenomenon that causes honey bees to flee their hive and eventually die during the winter months, the agricultural industry in the United States faces an economic loss nearing $20-30 billion dollars. The population decline has been attributed to many factors such as the parasitic Varroa mite, different types of viruses, poor nutrition and genetic diversity, and a Harvard study has linked the use of certain pesticides to CCD. Attempting to address the implications and costs associated with the decline in honey bee population, as well as the financial losses, is imperative …show more content…
Honeybees pollinate legumes specific to certain aspects of the diet of beef and dairy animals. Meat, milk, and cheese compose a large portion of U.S. diets. The increase in the price of the legumes will lead to a rise in the price of meat, milk, and cheese, but instead of the decrease in consumption of essential nutrients such as calcium, protein, iron, and zinc, consumers must spend money they would have spent elsewhere on meat, or simply consume less for the same amount, which is not efficient. Statistics show that from 2002 to 2014, beef prices have been slowly increasing over time, while U.S. total consumption of beef has been steadily decreasing, but at a slower rate. Though these numbers are not a result of honey bee decline, it shows that society will spend more on these goods if prices were to increase. With more money going towards essential goods, markets for non-essential or less essential goods will be …show more content…
States dependent on crops pollinated by honey bees will face economic downturn. Consumers will find themselves lacking essential nutrients as certain crops become scarce and highly expensive. Further research into solutions to slow the rate of decline within the honey bee population is necessary to determine final economic state of affairs. Possible solutions, such as research to determine an insecticide that can deter the Varroa mite without affecting honey bees or organic growing without pesticides to maintain health of honey bees. Recent movements to educate the public on amatuer beekeeping can help boost the population of honey bees. Overall, as it currently stands, the agricultural industry will undergo serious changes, individual economies will suffer, and society will have to alter its’ preferences to keep up with the changing prices and