Issue Overview: Bee blight

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Issue Overview: Bee blight By Alan Bjerga, Bloomberg on 09.06.16 Word Count 733 TOP: Bees in their hive. Photo by Sean Gallup. BOTTOM: Graphics by U.S. Department of Agriculture.

1 Issue Overview: Bee blight By Alan Bjerga, Bloomberg on Word Count 733 TOP: Bees in their hive. Photo by Sean Gallup. BOTTOM: Graphics by U.S. Department of Agriculture. Bees have been dying at alarming rates for a decade. That makes it more expensive to produce the many crops that depend on them for pollination. Dismay over their demise transcends economics: People have warmed to bees since antiquity, celebrating them in poetry, song and religious texts. Among the factors implicated in bee woes are parasites, disease and poor nutrition all of which defy easy solution. The role of a fourth factor, chemicals, is uncertain and contested. That hasn t stopped bee lovers from ﬁxing blame, with some countries banning pesticides called neonicotinoids. The Situation U.S. beekeepers have reported losing an average of 30 percent of their bees in the winters beginning in The ﬁgure for the most recent winter was in that range, but losses in the summer of 2015 were unusually high, producing an annual ﬁgure of 44 percent. Surveys didn't exist until a decade ago, but beekeepers estimate that the previous rate was 15 percent. Losses increase what farmers pay to rent bees, causing about half of the increase over 15 years in the fee California almond growers pay per hive, from $50 to $150. Environmental groups blame bee deaths on neonicotinoids, chemicals often applied to seeds to fend off insects as plants grow. Companies including Bayer AG, the biggest neonic manufacturer, say the insecticides are unfairly targeted. Studies have drawn

2 conflicting conclusions. The European Union in 2013 issued a moratorium on the use of three neonicotinoids on flowering crops. The effects of the restrictions are being studied. In Canada, the Ontario government has adopted regulations aimed at cutting use of neonicotinoid-treated seeds by 80 percent. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing neonicotinoid use in In January, it found that one variety, imidacloprid, may pose risk to hives when it comes into contact with some crops that attract pollinators. Meanwhile, the agency has proposed bans on spraying several dozen pesticides, including most neonicotinoids, in fields where bees have been brought in to pollinate a crop. A White House-appointed task force called for more research on pesticide effects and meanwhile focused on improving pollinator habitats. The Background A beehive is an image of community in Shakespearean texts. The Book of Mormon cites honeybees as a symbol of hard work. The Koran extols them for making honey. Farmers raising crops from apples to zucchini have long relied on wild pollinators including various bee species, birds and bats to fertilize plants and increase yields. Modern growers tending larger and larger farms have come to lean heavily on domesticated honeybees. In the U.S., an industry of itinerant beekeepers criss-cross the country to follow growing seasons. Researchers estimate that honeybee pollination adds $15 billion in value to U.S. crops each year. After beekeepers in the U.S. began reporting high losses in 2006, the term colony collapse disorder arose to describe a hive s abandonment by its adult bees. Today the phenomenon accounts for a minority of bee losses. A scientific consensus has emerged that various woes have combined to make bee life more stressful. These include parasitic Varroa mites, which have developed resistance to the chemicals used to kill them; bee viruses; and poor nutrition. The use of weedkillers on farms, forests and along highways has reduced forage available for bees. Monocropping, growing just one plant over a large area year after year, may deprive them of a diverse diet. The Argument The debate about the bees is a proxy battle over the future of agriculture. Supporters of contemporary farming practices see bee deaths as an added cost of food production. They note that while losses have increased costs to beekeepers and the farmers who hire them, they haven t significantly affected harvests or food prices. This group supports efforts to improve bee health but opposes pesticide restrictions. They argue that bans will reduce crop yields, which reports from Europe show, and that benefits to bees will be marginal at best. What s more, farmers might return to using older, more toxic chemicals, leaving bees worse off. Critics of industrial models of agriculture see bee deaths as a sign of fundamental flaws in the food system. They support crop rotation, reduced chemical use and land-management practices such as letting marginal lands lie fallow and thus grow weeds for bees to feed on. They argue that these measures are necessary to return ecosystems, including bee colonies, to health and are often advocates of organic farming.

3 Quiz 1 The introduction states that the role of chemical pesticides in bee death "is uncertain and contested." Which selection from the article BEST reflects this central idea? U.S. beekeepers have reported losing an average of 30 percent of their bees in the winters beginning in The figure for the most recent winter was in that range, but losses in the summer of 2015 were unusually high, producing an annual figure of 44 percent Environmental groups blame bee deaths on neonicotinoids, chemicals often applied to seeds to fend off insects as plants grow. Companies including Bayer AG, the biggest neonic manufacturer, say the insecticides are unfairly targeted. Studies have drawn conflicting conclusions. A scientific consensus has emerged that various woes have combined to make bee life more stressful. These include parasitic Varroa mites, which have developed resistance to the chemicals used to kill them; bee viruses; and poor nutrition. Supporters of contemporary farming practices see bee deaths as an added cost of food production. They note that while losses have increased costs to beekeepers and the farmers who hire them, they haven t significantly affected harvests or food prices. 2 Which option provides an accurate and objective summary of the article? Bee populations have been declining in recent years. Because bees are important pollinators, this has caused a debate between farmers and environmentalists about whether pesticides are partly to blame. Bees have been dying at an alarming rate in recent years. This is most likely due to farmers who use pesticides on their crops. The government foolishly refuses to do anything to fix the problem. Beekeepers are reporting losing a large percentage of their bee populations in recent years. This is due to a number of stressful factors in their environment, but is definitely not because of pesticides. Bee populations have been falling recently. There was concern that this would be a problem for farming, but bee populations have rebounded since countries banned the use of neonicotinoids.

4 3 Who would find the yellow map on the left of the images titled "Where the Bees Are and Where They're Needed" MOST helpful? someone trying to prove that bee populations have dropped in the past 10 years someone trying to find out the best place to plant crops that depend on bee pollination someone trying to prove that pesticides are to blame for the drop in bee populations someone trying to find out what impact bee pollination has on crop yields 4 How might pesticide companies use the two maps to refute the claim that pesticides are causing bees to die off? They could say that the state with the lowest bee population does not have a lot of agriculture. They could point out that the value of crops is still high in California even though there are fewer bees. They could point out that most states have a lot of bee colonies and that most states do not use pesticides on their farms. They could argue that the state that depends the most on bees also has the highest bee population.

5 Answer Key 1 The introduction states that the role of chemical pesticides in bee death "is uncertain and contested." Which selection from the article BEST reflects this central idea? U.S. beekeepers have reported losing an average of 30 percent of their bees in the winters beginning in The figure for the most recent winter was in that range, but losses in the summer of 2015 were unusually high, producing an annual figure of 44 percent Environmental groups blame bee deaths on neonicotinoids, chemicals often applied to seeds to fend off insects as plants grow. Companies including Bayer AG, the biggest neonic manufacturer, say the insecticides are unfairly targeted. Studies have drawn conflicting conclusions. A scientific consensus has emerged that various woes have combined to make bee life more stressful. These include parasitic Varroa mites, which have developed resistance to the chemicals used to kill them; bee viruses; and poor nutrition. Supporters of contemporary farming practices see bee deaths as an added cost of food production. They note that while losses have increased costs to beekeepers and the farmers who hire them, they haven t significantly affected harvests or food prices. 2 Which option provides an accurate and objective summary of the article? Bee populations have been declining in recent years. Because bees are important pollinators, this has caused a debate between farmers and environmentalists about whether pesticides are partly to blame. Bees have been dying at an alarming rate in recent years. This is most likely due to farmers who use pesticides on their crops. The government foolishly refuses to do anything to fix the problem. Beekeepers are reporting losing a large percentage of their bee populations in recent years. This is due to a number of stressful factors in their environment, but is definitely not because of pesticides. Bee populations have been falling recently. There was concern that this would be a problem for farming, but bee populations have rebounded since countries banned the use of neonicotinoids.

6 3 Who would find the yellow map on the left of the images titled "Where the Bees Are and Where They're Needed" MOST helpful? someone trying to prove that bee populations have dropped in the past 10 years someone trying to find out the best place to plant crops that depend on bee pollination someone trying to prove that pesticides are to blame for the drop in bee populations someone trying to find out what impact bee pollination has on crop yields 4 How might pesticide companies use the two maps to refute the claim that pesticides are causing bees to die off? They could say that the state with the lowest bee population does not have a lot of agriculture. They could point out that the value of crops is still high in California even though there are fewer bees. They could point out that most states have a lot of bee colonies and that most states do not use pesticides on their farms. They could argue that the state that depends the most on bees also has the highest bee population.

Farmers & Honeybees. A Farmer s Guide

Farmers & Honeybees. A Farmer s Guide Farmers & Honeybees A Farmer s Guide We all depend on honey bees. They pollinate our crops, they help plants grow the fruit that we eat, and they provide us with honey. When farmers and neonicotinoids