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The Significance of Bees to The Ecosystem and Food Security

 

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BEES TO THE ECOSYSTEM


By Raphael Banda- Media Trainer

Most of us normally complain when we are stung by the bees and feel good when the bee is found dead.

However, there is need for the change of mindset and focus our energies towards protecting these insects as they contribute greatly to our livelihood.

The extinction of the bees makes sad reading as they make 78% of the food that you and I eat every day. But how much efforts do we make to protect bees from further extinction? Journalists whether from Private and public media have a huge role to generate more content around preservation of cardinal insects such as bees.

Some of the major dangers to the life of the bee are human activities such as large changes in land use and industrialized agriculture practices what involves the use of some herb and pesticides. The detrimental use of pesticides has contributed to destroying habitant for bees and reducing their available food sources.

Rising temperatures have led to climatic changes that lead to flooding and droughts all affect the survival of bees’ ecosystems, reduces their suitability to the environment and threaten their survival.

Journalists and all farmers as well as fruit lovers in Zambia and elsewhere, ought to know that bees are one of the most efficient and prevalent pollinators. Both bees and plants benefit from each other due to their reciprocal relationship. The bees pollinate the plants from flower to flower, thus, plants reproduce in exchange the bees also eat the pollen which is a critical component of their diets.

Bees pollinate more than just flowers but also many of our favourite fruits and vegetables that require the help of bees to pollinate them, and these range from tomatoes, cucumbers, cotton, eggplants and other seeds.

As a journalism trainer, I call upon governments and like-minded environmentally friendly organisations to come up with more training for journalists on biodiversity and environmental journalism so that we prevent the complete extinction of important insects such as bees.

We should all do our best to spread the important roles which bees play in the ecological issue to avert possible extinction of the bees as this is a humanitarian issue. Bees support our agricultural systems and their extinction may lead to food crisis for all.

For details and possible media traings

Reach out: bandaraphael55@gmail.com or Whatts App +260979208286

 

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