Buzz
"Protect the bees!" From Costco promotions to the messages of local environmental activists, this rallying cry has been making waves in the media recently. But if you thought it wasn’t a big deal, think again. Bees play a vital role in agriculture and, by extension, our agribusiness. With that in mind, here are ten things that could be at risk in the event of a bee extinction.
10. The Global Food Supply
It’s well-known that bees are crucial to pollination and agriculture, but few people fully grasp the extent of their significance. Worldwide, there are 100 main crop varieties that account for 90 percent of the human food supply—think apples, bananas, avocados, and corn. Bees are responsible for pollinating 70 percent of these crops, which means about 63 percent of our food supply directly relies on them.
While other pollinators exist, their impact is far less significant than that of the bees. Bats, for example, are the second-largest pollinators, but they’re drawn to plants with muted-colored flowers. These crops, such as agave, guava, figs, and dates, represent a smaller portion of the global food market and wouldn’t be sufficient to feed seven billion people—unless, of course, we all embraced a diet of figgy pudding.
9. The Coffee Sector
Bees are not just essential for fruits and vegetables; they’re also the main pollinators for coffee. Without them, our global coffee supply would shrink, and the industry would suffer financially. At first glance, this might seem trivial—after all, caffeine isn’t a basic human need, and coffee’s disappearance wouldn’t cause starvation. However, a surprising amount of global industry depends on coffee production and sales.
In 2016, Starbucks Coffee earned a massive $21.3 billion in gross sales. By May 2017, the chain employed 245,000 people. Coffee is also an important industry in Latin America, particularly in Guatemala, where a significant portion of the population relies on coffee-related work. Without bees, this global coffee giant would falter, leaving hundreds of thousands unemployed around the world.
8. The Halloween Industry
Honeybees, squash bees, and bumblebees are the primary pollinators of pumpkins, with a few other bee species also contributing. Unlike many other crops, pumpkins are typically grown on small family farms, with independent farmers harvesting more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkins annually.
Given the variety of crops local farmers grow, the loss of pumpkins would be a tough, but manageable, setback for their farms. However, for the Halloween industry, where 170 million consumers spend around $850 million annually on carving jack-o’-lanterns, the disappearance of pumpkins would lead to a significant loss of profits for the holiday. Seasonal Halloween businesses would likely shut down, along with pumpkin-dependent farms. And really, what is Halloween without pumpkins?
7. The Fashion Industry
Cotton remains the most widely used fabric in the United States. Historically, it was one of the most important cash crops ever grown in America, shaping much of the country's history. Today, it's estimated that 60 percent of women's clothing and 75 percent of men's clothing contain cotton as the primary material, with nearly half of all clothing products in the U.S. market being made entirely of cotton.
As you, sharp reader, may have guessed, bees are responsible for most of the cotton pollination in the United States. Without them, this $2 billion crop would vanish, taking with it the comfort of your jeans and T-shirt. While this would be an inconvenience in developed countries, it would have a particularly severe impact in less-developed regions, where cotton fabric helps keep people cool in the blazing heat while providing protection from the sun.
6. The Nut Sector
Honeybees play a crucial role in the cultivation of many types of nuts, including almonds and cashews. The world’s largest almond producer—controlling 80 percent of the global market—emphasizes the importance of bees for pollinating their crops. The demand for bees is so immense that the $3 billion almond industry owns more than half of the entire U.S. honeybee population.
Cashews are another significant nut that relies on bees. In Africa, cashews pollinated by honeybees yield twice the amount of nuts compared to those pollinated artificially. Thanks to bees, family farms in these regions see a substantial increase in income, also benefiting from selling honey and wax. Without bees, not only would global nut production sharply decline, but many small businesses in developing regions would be forced to close their doors.
5. The Biofuel Sector
Biofuel is an emerging trend in the renewable energy field. These fuels work similarly to gasoline but are derived from plants processed into ethanol rather than extracted from oil. This innovation has the potential to reshape the energy industry and offer a more sustainable way to fuel transportation. Several companies, especially in Canada, are already capitalizing on this new technology.
Biofuels often include ingredients that are pollinated by bees. A prime example is canola-based fuel. Known for its cold resistance, high oil content, and noncorrosive properties, it stands out as the top choice over other biofuel options. However, canola plants rely on bees for pollination to survive. If bees were to vanish, the biofuel industry—a profitable sector full of jobs and renewable energy solutions—would also collapse.
4. The Freight Transport Sector
When most people think about the trucking industry, fruits and vegetables don’t typically come to mind. However, there is actually a significant demand for truck drivers to move food across the country, ensuring it remains fresh and safe. The largest company in the United States, Dot Foods, works with 830 manufacturers to distribute food nationwide. With 4,500 employees and $5.4 billion in annual revenue, this company—and others like it—play a major role in the economy.
What does this have to do with bees? If bees were to go extinct, 70 percent of our most common food items would disappear. We've already discussed how this could lead to famine and other global challenges. But it would also disrupt various industries tied to the food supply, trucking included. With 70 percent fewer fruits and vegetables to transport, the loss of bees would be costly, given the jobs and revenue associated with food transportation.
3. The Survival of Humankind
The widespread negative impacts of bee extinction have led some scientists and engineers to believe that humans would struggle to survive without bees for long. However, others remain more skeptical, like BBC’s “Science Focus” correspondent, who takes a more balanced view. He suggests that while the disappearance of bees wouldn’t directly cause human extinction, it would result in significant economic hardships and potentially widespread famine.
However, a large group of scientists contend that the extinction of bees and humans are closely linked. This viewpoint has gained traction recently, as colony collapse disorder continues to spread across beehives worldwide. In fact, at the annual Earthwatch debate, scientists voted that bees are the most vital species on Earth, surpassing fungi, plankton, bats, and even primates. Dr. George McGavin, a scientist at the conference, went as far as to say, “a world without bees would be totally catastrophic.” Time will reveal which side of the argument proves to be correct.
2. The Global Economy
The U.S. economy, whether through Halloween, biofuels, or trucking, isn’t the only economy that would face dire consequences from bee extinction. Other parts of the world are even more reliant on bees. In much of Latin America, the banana trade is crucial to the economy, with these countries exporting an average of 13 million tons of bananas annually—far more than Asia’s 2 million tons or Africa’s 600,000 tons.
In Asia, key agricultural exports include cotton, oilseeds, and various fruits, accounting for nearly four percent of China’s GDP. The African economy also depends heavily on unique fruit and vegetable species, along with oil-based agricultural products.
As any sharp reader will understand, all of these crops rely on bees for pollination and would perish without them. Honeybees alone contribute $15 billion worth of crops globally every year, while all bee species combined provide over $30 billion in annual crop revenue. The loss of these pollinators would wreak havoc on the global economy and international trade, triggering a series of crises that would uniquely affect every region of the world.
1. The Livestock Industry
To successfully raise cattle for meat production, four key ingredients are required: roughages, grains, oilseeds, and byproducts. While roughages and grains like grass, corn, and wheat self-pollinate via the wind, ensuring their survival even without bees, byproducts are nutritious additions that provide cows with extra calories and nutrients. However, oilseeds, which are crucial for the cattle’s diet, rely entirely on bee-pollinated plants like canola and sunflowers.
The main issue for the meat industry is that without these vital oilseeds, beef cattle cannot grow to their full potential or optimal health. Oilseeds are a primary source of protein for cows, aiding their growth and meat production. Without them, cows may face health issues such as stunted growth, poor reproduction rates, and a tendency to eat soil. The absence of bees to pollinate these essential food sources would not only decrease our supply of fruits and vegetables but also harm the availability of meat.
