Why protecting bees is important for a sustainable future in the Himalayan region

When bees forage for nectar and pollen, buzzing busily from flower to flower, they perform an invaluable service as pollinators. Remarkably, 75 per cent of the world’s food crops depend at least in part on pollinators such as bees, with honeybees particularly effective and reliable, according to a 2016 IPBES study . To put this into context, pollinators globally contribute to crops worth around USD 235 billion to USD 577 billion. This shows why protecting bees is important for a sustainable future.

We know how these social insects produce many commercially lucrative products such as honey, beeswax, and royal jelly. But bees as pollinators have even greater significance. The economic value of pollination for natural ecosystems as well as for food security and livelihoods is estimated to be far greater than the economic value of honey, beeswax, and other bee products.