this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2023
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Nature and Gardening
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tbh there needs to be a conversation about the honey industry.
while the food is definitely important, honey bees are not native to areas. they edge out natural pollinators solely for capitalist profit. it isn't the most destructive habit capitalism causes but honey bees should be raised in land they are native to.
As far as sugar production for profit goes, it's way better than the process for high fructose corn syrup production.
And at the rate that insect populations are declining, any additional insects will help.
One thing to note, though, is that honey bees are likely a factor in declining native insect populations. Their ability to outcompete native species results in a direct decline in the populations and effectiveness of native pollinators in areas nearby where beekeeping is practiced.
I don't know much about hfcs production, though, so I'll have to look into that.
Sources: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2016.1641
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-41271-5
Insect population declining is a symptom, the issue is that natural ecosystems are declining.
I assure you that is you plant natural wildflowers and you stop mowing your lawn the insect population and biodiversity in your area will explode in just a few months.
So I don't think adding more insects is the solution, if we give them the habitat the insect population can quickly grow back.
I don't think it's any more reasonable to expect honey bees to be restricted to their "native lands" any more than cows, or wheat. But flowers will feed whatever happens along, and wildflowers will feed what tends to live in that area.
I just wish we could stop with the misinformation surrounding them. I wish we would protect native bees instead of worshipping invasives (in the US).
Europe?