POLLINATOR PARTNERSHIP

Why should I get involved? Pollinator health affects everyone! Worldwide, roughly 1,000 plants grown for food, beverages, fibers, spices, and medicines need to be pollinated by animals in order to produce the goods on which we depend.Foods and beverages produced with the help of pollinators include: apples, blueberries, chocolate, coffee, melons, peaches, potatoes, pumpkins, vanilla, almonds, and tequila. In the United States, pollination by honey bees, native bees, and other insects produces $40 billion worth of products annually. Worldwide there is disturbing evidence that pollinating animals have suffered from loss of habitat, chemical misuse, introduced and invasive plan and animal species, and diseases and parasites. Many pollinators are federally “listed species,” meaning that there is evidence of their disappearance in natural areas. The U.S. has lost over 50% of its managed honeybee colonies over the past 10 years. A lack of research has hindered our knowledge about the status of pollinators. The E.U. has been so concerned that they have invested over $20 million investigating the status of pollinators in Europe.