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  • America Is One Bad Winter Away From A Food Disaster

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    Since 2006 honey bees responsible for pollinating more than 100 crops have been dying. The death rate for colonies has hit 30% annually in recent years. Agricultural pesticides have become a leading suspect in bee deaths.

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    america is one bad winter away from a food disaster

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    Since 2006 honey bees responsible for pollinating more than 100 crops have been dying. The death rate for colonies has hit 30% annually in recent years. Agricultural pesticides have become a leading suspect in bee deaths.

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    35 views2 pages

    America Is One Bad Winter Away From A Food Disaster

    Uploaded by

    api-243961057
    Since 2006 honey bees responsible for pollinating more than 100 crops have been dying. The death rate for colonies has hit 30% annually in recent years. Agricultural pesticides have become a leading suspect in bee deaths.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    huffingtonpost.

    com

    AmericaIsOneBadWinterAwayFrom
    AFoodDisaster

    Forgettheplightofthepolarbearforamomentandconsiderthecomingcollapseofthe
    $30billionhoneybeeeconomyintheUS.
    Since2006honeybeesresponsibleforpollinatingmorethan100cropsfromapplesto
    zucchinihavebeendyingbythetensofmillions.AsanewreportfromtheUS
    DepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)details,scientistsarestillstrugglingtopinpointthe
    causeofsocalledColonyCollapseDisorder(CCD)andtimeisrunningout.
    Currently,thesurvivorshipofhoneybeecoloniesistoolowforustobeconfidentinour
    abilitytomeetthepollinationdemandsofU.S.agriculturalcrops,thereportstates.
    Somesignsofbeemageddon:CCDhaswipedoutsome10millionbeehivesworth$2
    billionoverthepastsixyears.Thedeathrateforcolonieshashit30%annuallyinrecent
    yearsandtherearenowabout2.5millionhoneybeecoloniesintheUS,downfrom6
    millionin1947and3millionin1990.Thatdownwardspiralleavesvirtuallynocushion
    ofbeesforpollination,thereportsauthorswrite.
    Ifthatsoundsscary,itis.Takealmonds.Californiaharvestsmorethan80%ofthe
    worldsalmonds.Butyoucantgrowthenutwithouthoneybeesandittakes60%ofthe
    USsremainingcoloniesjusttopollinatethatone$4billioncashcrop.

    Ifthedeathtollcontinuesatthepresentrate,thatmeanstherewillsoonbebarelyenough
    beestopollinatealmonds,letaloneavocadoes,blueberries,pearsorplums.Weareone
    poorweathereventorhighwinterbeelossawayfromapollinationdisaster,USDA
    scientistJeffPettissaidinthereport.
    Inrecentyears,agriculturalpesticideshavebecomealeadingsuspectinbeedeaths.
    Attentionhasfocusedonaclassofchemicalscalledneonicotinoids.Lastmonththe
    EuropeanCommissionimposedatwoyearbanonneonicotinoidsasglobalconcern
    growsoverthebeepopulationcrash,whichhasaffectedseveralEuropeancountriestoo.
    Butscientistsincreasinglybelieveseveralinteractingfactorsfromdiseasecarrying
    parasitestopoornutritiontopesticidesareresponsibleforthemassdieoff.For
    instance,thereportsays,studieshaveshownthatexposuretoevennonfatallevelsof
    neonicotinoidsmaymakebeesmoresusceptibletodisease.
    Andasagriculturebecomesevermoreindustrialandnaturalhabitatsthatformerly
    borderedfarmlandaredestroyed,beesarebeingstarvedofthefoodtheyneedtohelp
    producefoodforhumans.Undernourishedormalnourishedbeesappeartobemore
    susceptibletopathogens,parasites,andotherstressors,includingtoxins,saidthereport.
    Sohowtosavethebees?Oneanswer:Breedbetterbees.Thereportrecommends
    steppingupeffortstoidentifygenetictraitsinparticularbeesthatmakethemresistantto
    suspectedcausesofCCD.Somehoneybees,itturnsout,takesuicidalriskswhen
    infectedwithdiseasetopreventspreadingthecontagiontothecolony.
    ThereportalsosuggestsimportingRussianhoneybeesandotherOldWorldbeesto
    diversifybeebreedingstockandbuildupCCDresistance.Scientistsalreadyhavebegun
    tostockpilebeesemenandgermplasmincasetheworstcomestopass.

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