I just finished watching the documentary Vanishing of the Bees. It was a real eye opener! You may have heard through the media about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) which is where the bees are just disappearing all of a sudden. This documentary covers all the possible causes, but seems to believe in one main cause – pesticides. 
Over time, with the use of systemic pesticides (the pesticides are in the actual DNA of the plant now), the bees are being affected and dying or disappearing. If the bees are dying, you also have to question what is happening within our own bodies when we eat those crops.
The loss of bees would create huge problems worldwide for our food systems. If we don’t act soon to help the honeybees, we could end up missing out on our favourite fruits and vegetables. I certainly don’t want to be eating wheat and corn for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
So what can we do to help? A great first step is to start supporting local, organic farmers. They have noticed that bees that collect their pollen from organic flowers are not suffering from CCD. The more organic farming we support, the more safe food there is for the bees. I try and do my fresh food shopping on Sunday mornings at my local farmer’s market. Have a look at www.organicfoodmarkets.com.au to find your local farmer’s market if you live in Sydney. If you live somewhere else (even internationally), just have a search online or ask friends whom you think might be clued in on where to shop.
You might also like to do a bit of gardening this weekend and plant some flowering plants that will flower at various times of the year to support your local bee population. Spring is giving us lovely weather at the moment, which is perfect for spending in the garden. The bees will thank you for it.
