Bees on Tenerife are crucial for preserving biodiversity and sustaining ecosystems, because 75% percent of food crops depend on pollination.
Every year on May 20th, World Bee Day is celebrated, and the Tenerife Island Council has introduced a program to raise public awareness about the importance of bees and other pollinators for preserving biodiversity and to highlight the threats they face. “If bees disappeared from the planet, humans would survive for only four years,” stated Albert Einstein—a powerful and impactful statement.
Seventy-five percent of food crops depend on pollination, as do thirty-five percent of the world’s agricultural products. This underscores the necessity of protecting bees, controlling their decline, and halting biodiversity loss.
Beekeeping
The Council emphasizes that pollinators not only directly contribute to food security but are also essential for maintaining ecosystems and preserving biodiversity. However, they are currently under significant threat due to intensive agricultural practices, pesticide use, and the impacts of climate change.
Tenerife boasts 14 registered honey varieties, a significant contribution to the island’s gastronomy. The government has increased support for beekeepers to €92,000 for the purchase of supplementary bee feed. This initiative aims to improve their nutritional status and ensure the sustainability of the bee population on the island.
Between 2015 and 2019, the number of beehives dropped by 9.27 percent. However, between 2019 and 2022, hive capacity increased by 7 percent, bringing the number of active beekeeping businesses on Tenerife back up to 600.
Activities
The organized activities include a workshop in 11 schools on the island. Approximately 2,000 children from 96 classes will participate in a workshop involving making gofio with honey, for which they have received the necessary materials.
From May 10th to 18th, the Casa de la Miel hosted a photography contest on Instagram to raise awareness about the role of bees in environmental protection. The winner will receive a collection of Mieles de Tenerife and a commercial promotional package from Casa de la Miel and Miel de Tenerife.
World Bee Day
In October 2017, the United Nations General Assembly declared May 20th as World Bee Day, coinciding with the birthdate of Anton Janša from Slovenia, a pioneer of modern beekeeping in the 18th century.
Pollination is a fundamental process for the survival of ecosystems and is essential for the production and reproduction of many crops and wild plants.
The extinction rate of bee species is 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal due to human activities. Nearly 35 percent of invertebrate pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, and about 17 percent of vertebrate pollinators, like bats, are globally threatened with extinction.
The decline in bees and butterflies is primarily attributed to certain intensive agricultural practices, land-use changes, pesticides, invasive alien species, diseases, pests, and, of course, climate change.
Unknown © Photography
Bees on Tenerife ©
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