Conserving Bee-odiversity through Organic Farming

Isadonna Fortune Tengganu

As pollinators, bees hold a vital role to our food chain. McGregor (1976) said that at least one
third of foods we consumed come from bees (via pollination). Unfortunately, intensive use of
chemicals and large monoculture plantations by broken agricultural system causes the bee
populations to decline. A study by Greenpeace found that more that 67% of pollen collected by
worker bees that later been brought back to the hive was contaminated with up to 17 different
toxic chemicals which represent a wide range of pesticides [1]. The pesticides are used in
agricultural field will poison the pollen, which is a source of protein and energy for the entire bee
population.
Ecological or organic farming offers a way to produce enough food and to achieve economic
success without harming the ecosystem. Millions of farmers around the world are practicing
ecological farming. It works through biodiverse farming, organic pest control, and natural
fertilizers [2].
Biodiverse farming uses a mix of different crops and plant varieties in a given field, so plants
pliability to unpredictable weather changes is increased through this intercropping. Another
feature of ecological farming, organic pest control, uses non-polluting and long term pest
protection instead of chemical pesticides. There are two different ways of this organic pest
control. Beneficial insects are introduced to the field by one method. Another method, crop fields
are planted deliberately and low-input technologies that are available locally is used. As a
result, crops are less vulnerable to pest invasion. Natural fertilizers are crucial for ecological
farming. Natural fertilizers allow the soil to have abundance amount of organic matter, better
ability in retaining water, and also better protection against erosion.
As organic farming doesnt use toxic chemicals, pollens wont be polluted, therefore bees
wouldnt be harmed, and their populations remain safe. Not only that, organic farming has
increased species richness by about 30% [2]. It also increased crop yields, more fertile soil,
resilience to pests, and also cost-efficient [3]. Thus, organic farming is both supporting
biodiversity, environment, and also farmers.
Source:
[1] Tirado, R., Johnston, P. 2013. Bees In Decline. Greenpeace Research Laboratory.
[2] Tuck, S.L., Winqvist, C., Mota, F., Ahnstrom, J., Turnbull, L. A., Bengtsson, J. 2014. Land-use intensity and the effects of
organic farming on biodiversity: a hierarchical meta-analysis. Wiley.
[3] The Solution - Ecological Farming. (http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/agriculture/solution-ecological-
farming/#tab=3) accessed at 19/4/2014
McGregor, S. E., USDA. 1976. Insect Pollination of Cultivated Crop Plants. 1:5-6. Available at
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=18054