20 May
On this Friday, May 20, we celebrate the 5rd World bee day, so “Happy Bee Day” to all ! Okay, the pun is a little easy, yet this day is very serious and should encourage us to learn about the role of the bee and change our behavior to preserve this endangered species.
But before knowing more about our dear bees, it is important for us to talk to you about a subject at the heart of the environmental crisis: biodiversity.
What is biodiversity ?
Biodiversity is talked about everywhere when it comes to environmental protection, but concretely, what does this word mean? Biodiversity is simply the living fabric of our planet and of which we are of course part. That is to say, it is all the natural environments (oceans, forests, meadows, etc.) and life forms on Earth (humans, plants, animals, bacteria, etc. ) and their interactions.
Biodiversity is everywhere, all the time, it is at the heart of our lives.
Unfortunately, we read and hear everywhere that biodiversity is in danger. But what exactly does it mean, and why is it important?
First of all, biodiversity offers irreplaceable goods that are essential to our daily lives. We of course think of our food and the drinking water we consume. But also to medicines (aspirin from the white willow) or to the many raw materials that we use to house or clothe ourselves (wood, fibers such as wool, cotton, hemp, etc.). We get it all from nature.
Then, it also performs essential roles such as mitigating the effects of natural disasters (the oceans regulate the climate) and preventing the appearance of resistance in species classified as harmful...
But today she is in danger...
The erosion of biodiversity is characterized by the rate of extinction of species, the number of which is estimated at 8 million (animals, molluscs, etc.) on land and in the seas. But the rate of extinction of species is much too high, species are set to disappear faster than expected, and one of the endangered species is the bee.
Bees: queens of biodiversity
To draw everyone's attention to the key role pollinators play, the threats they face and their important contribution to sustainable development, the United Nations has decided to designate May 20 as World Bee Day. An essential link in the protection of our biodiversity, bees play an important role in the proper balance of the ecosystems around us.
According to the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), 35% of our food, 84% of cultivated species in Europe and 80% of wild species depend directly on the pollination of bees, ie the dispersal of seeds. Pollination is a fundamental process for the survival of ecosystems because on it depends the reproduction of nearly 90% of wild flowering plants in the world, as well as 75% of food crops and 35% of agricultural land worldwide .
In fact, the equation is simple to understand: without bees, no (or very little) pollination of flowering plants. And without plant pollination, less (or even no) fruit and vegetables on our plates!
The gradual disappearance of the number of bees, observed over the past ten years, is therefore all the more worrying and we must do our utmost to protect them.
Hives on the roof of the Abalone France headquarters since 2014
Protecting bees helps to safeguard our environment and our balance of life. Thus, since 2014, 150 bees have joined the Abalone Tribe ! Distributed in 3 hives, they took place on the roof of our head office in Saint-Herblain (44), and quickly became the mascot of the whole company. By installing these hives on the roof of our building, this allows us at our level to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.
Then, beyond supporting the activity of a local partner and fighting to save bees and biodiversity, it is a whole eco-citizen and participatory approach that is valued. Indeed, the hives are built by an ESAT in the Nantes conurbation with local wood, and are then painted by children's associations.
Discover the interview with Jérôme Courtin, beekeeper at Champoivre apiary, who takes care of our dear workers from the beginning.
Hello Jérôme, first of all can you tell us how the Abalone bees are doing today?
JC: They're doing pretty well, they're little fighters! Despite the bad weather and the pressure of Asian hornets that threaten them, we will soon be able to start harvesting honey because the swarm has developed well. The 2021 season was the worst year for French beekeeping in the last 20 years, we had 40% less honey production. I hope it will be better for this year but I'm afraid it won't work out.
There is a lot of talk about the gradual disappearance of the number of bees. What is the impact on your daily life?
JC: Promoting the development of the bee and raising people's awareness is what pushed me to create my project and my company. Climate change and the decline in biodiversity are forcing us to constantly readapt to protect the bee as well as possible. We also have to deal with natural predators such as Varroa (an Asian mite that lives on bees) or the Asian hornet that arrived in France in 2004. There are also pesticides even if we feel a change in mentalities on this subject.
What can we do? Businesses and individuals, in our daily lives?
JC: Simply feed them! We can install plants, honey flowers, poppies, clovers around buildings and houses… It's pretty and it feeds the bees!
You can also leave a few hedges or fallow areas for them to forage. Even though we are celebrating Bee Day today, we must watch over it on a daily basis and we can all take action.
What does our relationship mean to you?
JC: Abalone is a loyal partner. I really liked the company's environmental approach. We have great projects to come: decoration of hives by employees and awareness-raising actions among others.
Thank you Jerome, see you soon!