Nature & Wellness #4: Bees

May 08, 2025

by Stephanie Calderon

Bees are essential for the plant and our food supply because they act as pollinators, facilitating plant reproduction and ensuring the production of fruits, vegetables, and other crops. Without bees, a significant portion of the world’s food supply, including many essential crops, would be at risk.

In simpler terms, think of bees as the “delivery service” for plants, carrying pollen from flower to flower, allowing plants to reproduce and produce the food we eat and the ecosystem they support. If bees went extinct, it would have devastating consequences for our ecosystem and human food security. The extinction would lead to a decline in plant pollination, impacting food production and biodiversity, and potentially causing a domino effect of species extinction.

Here’s why bees are so important:

• Pollination: Bees transfer pollen from one flower to another, enabling plants to reproduce and produce fruits, seeds, and nuts.

• Food Security: A large percentage of the world’s food supply, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains, relies on pollination by bees.

• Ecosystem Health: Bees play a crucial role in maintaining the health and stability of ecosystems by supporting plant life and wildlife.

• Biodiversity: Bees help maintain plant diversity, which is essential for a healthy and resilient ecosystem.

• Livestock Feed: Bees also pollinate plants that are used as feed for livestock, such as clover and alfalfa.

More than just honey: While bees are known for producing honey, their pollination services are vital for a wide range of food crops and plants, contributing to the overall health of our plant and our food security.

Albert Einstein: “If the bees disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”