Bees Can Help Boost Food Security for 2 Billion Small Farmers at No Cost: FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Friday, for the first time, lauded bees for their role in helping increase crop yields.
The small insects, wild or honey ones, have been unknowingly fertilizing plants as they move tirelessly from flower to flower.
In doing so, bees may have a key role to play in improving the production of some two billion smallholder farmers worldwide and ensuring the food security and nutrition of the world's growing population, the UN agency said in a new study published in Science magazine.
"What do cucumbers, mustard, almonds and alfalfa have in common? " asked FAO in a press release. "On the surface, very little; but there is one thing they share: they all owe their existence to the service of bees."