The Decrease in Domesticated Honeybee Populations in the United States and San Joaquin County: a Call to Action

Lyona CarterWalden UniversityMay 08, 2011

ReferencesUnited States Department of Agriculture. (2006). Image Number D673-1. Retrieved April 24, 2011, from http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/jan07/d673-1.htm

San Joaquin County, California – Crop Yields, Fruits and Nuts, 2007

Product Crop YieldGrapes $216,914,000Cherries $201,694,000Almonds $158,9322,000Walnuts $129,363,000Apples $38,457,000

ReferencesSan Joaquin County Department of Agriculture. (2007). 2007 Agricultural Report San Joaquin County. Retrieved April 24, 2011, from www.sjgov.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=9572

United States Department of Agriculture. (2004).World Almond Situation & Outlook. Retrieved April 24, 2011, from http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/Hort_Circular/2004/12-10-04/12-04%20Almonds.pdf

The Role of Bees in San Joaquin County

The US Department of Agriculture (2010) reports: “Bee pollination is responsible for $15 billion in added crop value, particularly for specialty crops such as almonds and other nuts, berries, fruits, and vegetables.”

ReferencesUnited States Department of Agriculture. (2006). Agroforestry: Sustaining Native Bee Habitat For Crop Pollination. Retrieved May 08, 2011, from http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/agroforestrynotes32-overview.pdfUnited States Department of Agriculture. (2010). Questions and Answers: Colony Collapse Disorder. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572

Several Foods Dependent Upon Honeybees• Tomatoes• Grapefruits• Prunes• Pumpkins• Almonds• Vegetable seeds

• Cranberries• Pears• Apples• Plums• Soybeans

ReferencesUnited States Department of Agriculture. (2006). Agroforestry: Sustaining Native Bee Habitat For Crop Pollination. Retrieved May 08, 2011, fromhttp://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/agroforestrynotes32-overview.pdf

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) a disorder

causing the eradication of once present bee populations in the United States and abroad.

Honeybee losses range from 30-90 percent

ReferencesUnited States Department of Agriculture. (2010). Questions and Answers: Colony Collapse Disorder. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572

Pesticides and Honeybee decline

ReferencesGross, M. (2008). Pesticides Linked to Bee Deaths. Current Biology, 18(16), R684. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.08.004.

CCD as a Global Issue

•CCD is prevalent abroad •In Europe the chemical Clothianidin

(Bayer) was alleged.•In 2008, Bayer paid $2 million Euros to

beekeepers (Gross, 2008).

CCD and the Multi-factoral Theory

Paradigm Shift with Implications for the Future

ReferencesKremen, C., Williams, N.M. & Thorp, R.W. (2002). Crop Pollination from Native Bees at Risk from Agricultural Intensification. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 99, 16812–16816.

Direct Impact to Global Community and Local Economies

Decreased crop valueIncreased Food SecurityLimited available food sourcesEconomic and political instability

ReferencesGhosh, J. (2010). The Unnatural Coupling: Food and Global Finance. Journal of Agrarian Change, 10(1), 72-86. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0366.2009.00249.x.

Winfree, R., Williams, N. M., Dushoff, J., & Kremen, C. (2007). Native Bees Provide Insurance Against OngoingHoney Bee Losses. Ecology Letters, 10(11), 1105-1113. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01110.x

Stakeholders San Joaquin County Office of Agricultural Commissionhttp://www.sjgov.org/agcomm/ The Great Sunflower Projecthttp://www.greatsunflower.org/project-leaders City of Tracy California Economic Development teamhttp://www.ci.tracy.ca.us/departments/economic_development/ Local food growers , local media and the local community!

ReferencesGhosh, J. (2010). The Unnatural Coupling: Food and Global Finance. Journal of Agrarian Change,

10(1), 72-86. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0366.2009.00249.x.

Gross, M. (2008). Pesticides Linked to Bee Deaths. Current Biology, 18(16), R684. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.08.004.

San Joaquin County Department of Agriculture. (2007). 2007 Agricultural Report San Joaquin County. Retrieved April 24, 2011, from www.sjgov.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=9572

United States Department of Agriculture. (2006). Agroforestry: Sustaining Native Bee Habitat For Crop Pollination. Retrieved April 24, 2011, from http://plants.usda.gov/pollinators/Agroforestry_Sustaining_Native_Bee_Habitat_for_Crop_Pollination.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture. (2006). Image Number D673-1. Retrieved April 24, 2011, from http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/jan07/d673-1.htm

United States Department of Agriculture. (2010). Questions and Answers: Colony Collapse Disorder. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=15572

Winfree, R., Williams, N. M., Dushoff, J., & Kremen, C. (2007). Native Bees Provide Insurance Against Ongoing Honey Bee Losses. Ecology Letters, 10(11), 1105-1113. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01110.x.

What is Needed?• Additional research to understand the factors related to CCD.

• More proactive, collaborative and investigative approach from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the USDA.

• Add CCD investigation as an addition to Healthy People 2020 objectives under the Nutrition and Weight Status objective; given its relatedness to food security.

• Find the cause create prevention and intervention strategies.

• Increased communication and awareness.

Recommended ReadingLarsen, T.H., Williams, N.W. & Kremen, C. (2005). Extinction order and

altered community structure rapidly disrupt ecosystem functioning. Ecol. Lett., 8, 538–547.

Kremen, C., Williams, N.M. & Thorp, R.W. (2002). Crop Pollination from Native Bees at Risk from Agricultural Intensification. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 99, 16812–16816.