Recent years have been difficult for bees all over the world. From the United States to China, and Italy is no exception: pollinator communities are under strain. And this will probably be remembered as the annus horribilis for these small insects.

Intensive farming, the use of neonicotinoid pesticides as foliar sprays, parasitic attacks and extreme weather events are among the causes that led to the loss of 19 per cent of bee colonies in our country during 2009–2010 (source ApeNet: ricerca e monitoraggio in apicoltura del Mipaaf).

Bees and agriculture

The role of bees is of fundamental importance for the environment and the economy. It is estimated that in Europe alone, honeybees, bumblebees and wild bees contribute over 22 billion euros to the agricultural sector. In the United States the figure is around 9 billion. At a global level, the FAO estimates that pollinators contribute to world food production to the tune of between 230 billion and 580 billion euros.

"The growing threat to pollinators, which play a fundamental role in food security, offers another interesting example of how people are connected to the environment, and how deeply intertwined our fate is with that of the natural world," the FAO comments. "As we work towards food security, it is important to address the challenge with consideration of the environmental impacts that are causing the problem. Sustainable development, including food security, requires an approach that embraces the environment."

The state of health of bees in Italy

According to the study conducted by the monitoring network established within the framework of the project "ApeNet: ricerca e monitoraggio in apicoltura", funded by the Mipaaf and coordinated by the Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura – Api (Cra-Api), the Department of Agri-Environmental Sciences at the University of Bologna and the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, bees and hives throughout the country have suffered severe losses. "In 2010 – the study concludes – colony losses were found to be significantly correlated with the presence of pesticides in bees during the second sampling period of the year. Over the 2009–2010 two-year period, colony mortality rates were found to be positively correlated with the percentage of agricultural land surrounding the apiaries."

The beekeepers' words

Confirmation of a particularly difficult year also comes from the field, directly from beekeepers. Such as Marco Zucchetti, a beekeeper involved in LifeGate's Bee My Future project. "The months of May and June were marked by alternating spells of fine weather in early May, followed by relentless rain and low temperatures. Then summer arrived, but still with severe storms and hailstorms. The latter part of summer was then characterised by a rather dry climate and sparse flowering. Compared to last year, in April and May the swarming phenomenon was more pronounced and production was decidedly lower than last year. Towards the end of summer, given the dry weather, the bees managed to accumulate fewer stores than in previous years."

The trend is confirmed by various associations operating across the country, some of which speak of a 70 per cent loss in annual production. "Climate variability and difficult environmental conditions, caused by intensive farming, are responsible for a negative record in Italian honey production, with a 30 per cent drop below the average harvest," explains Andrea Rigoni, president of Rigoni di Asiago. "The invasion of pesticides and their indiscriminate use are even changing the immune system of bees. Farming is increasingly an environmental act. Taking care of bees today will save us from the environmental destruction that is continuing with ever greater intensity and is reaching the point of no return."