Protecting managed honeybees

BACKGROUND

Most of the crops depend on pollinators, so declines in both managed and wild bees with associated loss of pollination services raise concerns about food security. In the light of an increasing global human population and global climate change, the demand for food is increasing and is becoming more and more challenging.

Managed honeybee colonies are essential for agriculture and the environment, they ensure plant reproduction by pollin ation, whilst beekeeping contributes to the development of rural areas. It is a small sector but very important for pollination. Although over the past 10 to 15 years beekeepers have been reporting unusual weakening of bee numbers and colony losses, the to tal number of beehives in the EU is continuing to rise...

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