Abejas en peligro?

A partir de la muerte masiva de abejas productoras de miel ocurrida en los ltimos aos en granjas de Estados
Unidos y de pases europeos comenz a circular la idea de que las abejas del mundo peligran y que el suministro
mundial de aquellos alimentos que dependen de la polinizacin corre serio riesgo. Estamos al borde de una crisis
global de polinizacin? Un especialista argentino en el tema explica el estado de situacin actual.

Agencia CyTA Instituto Leloir. Por Bruno Geller A fines del 2009 se estren en el Reino Unido un documental
titulado Vanishing of the Bees (desaparicin de las abejas). La pelcula describa la disminucin masiva de abejas
domesticadas productoras de miel en Estados Unidos y en algunos pases de Europa y la describa cmo un
fenmeno misterioso. La idea de que las abejas domesticadas estn desapareciendo por razones desconocidas se
expandi en la conciencia pblica. Tambin es una gran historia que alimenta las ansiedades de nuestros tiempos,
pero es verdad? Pensamos que no, por lo menos no todava, escribieron en una columna de opinin publicada en
la revista de divulgacin New Scientist dos especialistas en abejas, los doctores Marcelo Aizen, investigador del
CONICET en la Universidad Nacional del Comahue y Lawrence Harder de la Universidad de Calgary, en Canad.

Ambos investigadores afirman que es normal que muchas personas se alarmen ante el rumor de que las abejas estn
colapsando si se tiene en cuenta que las abejas y otros polinizadores moscas, mariposas, aves y murcilagos
polinizan ms del 80 por ciento de las 250 mil especies de plantas con flores del planeta. Y agregan que la
preocupacin se refuerza ante la idea de que la agricultura a gran escala se beneficia de los servicios de polinizacin.
Por este motivo afirmar que los polinizadores estn en declive ha desencadenado la alarma de que nuestros
suministros de alimentos podran estar en riesgo, que podramos estar al borde de una crisis global de
polinizacin.En esa columna de opinin y en otra similar publicada en el peridico estadounidense The New York
Times, Aizen y Harder exponen una serie de hechos que podran resumirse con la frase: que no cunda el pnico.

En una entrevista mantenida con la Agencia CyTA, el doctor Aizen seala que es cierto que la cantidad de colmenas
de abejas domesticadas declin en forma muy rpida en algunos pases de Europa y de los Estados Unidos, pasando
del 60 al 70 por ciento en los ltimos 50 aos. Sin embargo, a nivel mundial el nmero aument el 45 por ciento en
ese mismo lapso. Son datos que provienen de la Organizacin de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la
Alimentacin. Asimismo el investigador del CONICET indic que el aumento de las colmenas de abejas
domesticadas ha tenido lugar en pases en desarrollo donde la produccin de miel se ha convertido en una
importante actividad econmica. De hecho, la Argentina es uno de los pases que ms miel produce y exporta a
nivel mundial, subray. Y agreg: Se han descripto distintas patologas que explicaran el declive de abejas en
granjas de Estados Unidos y de Europa, pero bsicamente la declinacin que se observa a largo plazo obedece ms a
causas econmicas que a biolgicas. Ac en Argentina, por ejemplo, hay enfermedades que afectan a las abejas y sin
embargo en los ltimos 20-30 aos la cantidad de colmenas se ha quintuplicado. Esa disminucin se relaciona ms
con los incentivos econmicos que con variables biolgicas que, en definitiva, se pueden solucionar.

De acuerdo con Aizen la produccin de miel se terceriz a otros pases fuera de Estados Unidos y de Europa,
mayormente pases en desarrollo donde esa actividad econmica est incentivada por los menores costos de
produccin. Si en las granjas de Estados Unidos y de algunos pases de Europa no se reemplazan las colmenas para
seguir con la actividad en forma sostenible, esto es, si no se mantiene en buen estado la produccin, es lgico que la
poblacin de abejas se vea alterada, afirm el cientfico. Por otra parte, para seguir relativizando la falsa alarma
Aizen indica que el suministro de alimentos mundial no peligrara si las abejas desaparecieran. La produccin de
muchos alimentos bsicos no dependen de polinizadores o dependen slo parcialmente. Cultivos ricos en
carbohidratos como el trigo, el maz y el arroz se polinizan con el viento o se autopolinizan. Si las abejas
desaparecen, la produccin agrcola global disminuira entre el 4 y el 6 por ciento, resalt. Y continu: De todos
modos, es muy importante cuidar a las abejas y a otros polinizadores no slo desde el punto de vista ecolgico sino
tambin para preservar la produccin de determinados alimentos que dependen de la polinizacin como la palta, la
manzana, el kiwi, las sandas, los zapallos, los duraznos, las frambuesas, las cerezas y en general la mayora de los
frutos de clima tropical y templado.
Una autntica paradoja

La proteccin tiene que destinarse tanto a las abejas domesticadas que provienen de una sola especie salvaje
domesticada como a las miles de especies de abejas salvajes que polinizan no solo cultivos sino tambin plantas en
bosques y selvas, subray Aizen. Y prosigui: Adems del avance de la frontera agrcola que destruye los nidos
donde se reproducen las abejas los pesticidas e insecticidas, entre otros agroqumicos, tambin son factores que
alteran su desarrollo. Cuando se destruye su hbitat, no slo desaparecen las abejas y otros polinizadores, tambin
se eliminan agentes biolgicos naturales como muchas especies de avispas que controlan diferentes pestes que
atacan a diversos cultivos y que podran ser aprovechados.

Aizen describe varias paradojas: Nuestra demanda de determinados alimentos pone en peligro a las abejas salvajes
que en definitiva ayudan a que el cultivo sea posible. Esta contradiccin se refleja cuando observamos el modo en
que el avance irracional de la frontera agrcola termina destruyendo su hbitat. Por otra parte, si queremos
continuar comiendo manzanas y paltas, entre otros frutos, necesitamos entender que la poblacin actual de abejas y
de otros polinizadores no pueden sostener el crecimiento continuo de la superficie de cultivo de este tipo de
alimentos. Esa asimetra reduce el rendimiento por hectrea. Desde esta perspectiva, se debera realizar una
agricultura sostenible que sea amigable con los polinizadores ya que el rendimiento de los cultivos que dependen
de polinizadores est limitado por la cantidad y calidad del polen que transfieren las abejas, segn se describe en un
estudio internacional en el que particip el doctor Aizen y que fue publicado recientemente en la revista cientfica
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Ante esta realidad, Aizen recomienda implementar polticas que favorezcan un cultivo sostenible que integre el
hbitat de las abejas y del resto de los polinizadores al paisaje agrcola. Adems de las medidas de conservacin, se
pueden agregar en forma artificial sitios para que las abejas puedan nidificar de modo tal de que puedan seguir
polinizando diferentes cultivos, concluy.

Death and Extinction of the Bees

By Joachim Hagopian
Global Research, March 24, 2017

Scientists have recently reported that mass extinctions of marine animals may soon be occurring at alarmingly rapid
rates than previously projected due to pollution, rising water temperatures and loss of habitat. Many land species
also face a similar fate for the same reasons. But perhaps the biggest foreboding danger of all facing humans is the
loss of the global honeybee population. The consequence of a dying bee population impacts man at the highest levels
on our food chain, posing an enormously grave threat to human survival. Since no other single animal species plays a
more significant role in producing the fruits and vegetables that we humans commonly take for granted yet require
near daily to stay alive, the greatest modern scientist Albert Einstein once prophetically remarked, Mankind will not
survive the honeybees disappearance for more than five years.

Since 2006 beekeepers have been noticing their honeybee populations have been dying off at increasingly rapid
rates. Subsequently researchers have been scrambling to come up with an accurate explanation and an effective
strategy to save the bees and in turn save us homo sapiens from extinction. Recent harsh winters that stay freezing
cold well into spring have been instrumental in decimating the honeybee population in Iowa by up to 70% as well as
the other historically high yielding honey states the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota. The northern Plains and
Midwestern states that have regionally always produced the nations most honey have been severely hurt by the
long harsh winters in the last couple years. Florida as the third largest honey producer and especially California
always among the top producers have been hit especially hard by decreasing bee colony populations. In 2006 when
the problem of bee loss first was noticed, California was right up at the top with North Dakota producing nearly
twice as much honey as the next state South Dakota but its bee numbers have incurred such heavy losses that in
2011, though still second, Californias honey production fell by nearly half in just six years. The recent severe drought
in California has become an additional factor driving both its honey yield and bee numbers down as less rain means
less flowers available to pollinate.

Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) as this loss of bee phenomenon has been called is currently recognized as
such an urgent crisis that a month ago Newsweek ran an article outlining the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
announcement that it will provide a $3 million subsidy in order to help the one animal on the planet that will either
make or break food prices. According to the latest USDA industry survey, this emergency plan assistance comes after
nearly a third of commercial honeybees died last winter, a whopping increase of 42% from the previous year. The
three million dollar giveaway program is designed to entice both Midwest dairy farmers and cattle ranchers to
reseed their fields this spring with eco-friendly crops like alfalfa and clover to develop healthier habitats for
increasing the national bee population. Farmers and ranchers only had until March 21st, 2014 to sign up and take
advantage as eligible seedling recipients.

Last months Newsweek reported that honeybees in trucks migrate to various regions of the country to pollinate an
estimated $40 billion worth of the nations agricultural produce each year. This means that every third bite of food
we eat comes as the result of bees and other pollinators. USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated that more
than 130 fruits and vegetables that make up a nutritious diet are cross pollinated by honeybees. Commercial bees
raised on farms and then shipped to other farms in the country used for pollination purposes along with wild bees
are responsible for pollination of an estimated 80% of all food crops in the United States.

In the last half decade alone 30% of the national bee population has disappeared and nearly a third of all bee
colonies in the U.S. have perished. Though the rate of bee depopulation is growing each year, 42% more last year
than the year before, even at the current annual rate the estimated monetary loss is a colossal 30 billion dollars a
year. With such an enormous loss in revenue, last months USDA announcement of just a three million dollar
investment in farmer aid in comparison to the formidable challenge seems like a paltry drop in the bucket to making
any real dent in the epidemic.

With so much at stake, efforts to investigate and uncover reasons for this sudden global pandemic have been robust.
A new government study blames a combination of factors for the mysterious and dramatic loss of honeybees,
including increased use of pesticides especially in the US, shrinking habitats, multiple viruses, poor nutrition and
genetics, and even cell phone towers. However, according to last years joint EPA-USDA study, the biggest cause is
the parasite called the Varroa destructor, a type of mite found to be highly resistant to the insecticides that US
beekeepers have used in attempts to control the mites from inside the beehives. Moreover, new virus species have
been found in the US and several of these have been associated with Colony Collapse Disorder.

In a vicious cycle, since 1987 when the Varroa mite was first discovered in the US, Monsanto, Dow, Bayer and other
large chemical manufacturers aggressively glommed onto the bee industry selling genetically modified insecticides
and herbicides as the quick and easy fix to remedy the parasitic invasion, only to weaken the bees natural genetic
defenses to fight off the parasite. In an article from the Guardian earlier this month, Monsantos contribution to the
vanishing bee population is detailed. From genetically altered corn, Monsanto produced an insecticide called Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt), which once ingested by bees, Bt binds to receptors within the bees stomach lining that keeps the
bee from eating. Of course this weakens the bee, causing the breakdown of the inner stomach wall, which in turn
makes the bee susceptible to spores and bacteria. To further compound the problem, for years the lobbying power
of the chemical giant denied causing damage to the bees internal immune capacity for resistance to parasites, which
of course only continued to kill off the bee population worldwide. Thus, continued chemical use, especially in
America, only exacerbates this growing problem.

Also on Greenpeaces Save the Bees page, a type of insecticide called neonicotinoids, is known to cause acute and
chronic poisoning not just of one bee, but the entire colony. Bees take the contaminated nectar and pollen spread
through the plants DNA back to the hive, creating a highly toxic living environment for all the bees. Toxicity builds up
destroying the Central Nervous System, causing further disorientation and bees ultimately can neither fly nor make it
back to the nest. Meanwhile, unlike the US, in Europe and Australia where the health of insects and humans is
deemed more important than corporate profit, laws banning insecticide use have been passed, which in large part
has largely saved the bee populations from being so decimated there.

A study last year found 35 pesticides and fungicides, some at lethal doses, in the pollen collected from bees that
were used to pollinate food crops in five U.S. states. In another research study, bees that contacted pollen
contaminated with fungicides ended up three times more likely to get infected by a parasite closely associated with
Colony Collapse Disorder.

The results of a new study conducted by Mark Brown of Royal Halloway University in London released several weeks
ago found that wild bumblebee populations are also disappearing at a similar rate to the domestic honeybee. In its
sample one in five wild bees were afflicted by the Deformed Wing Virus believed to be caused by the parasitic Varroa
mite. 88% of the honeybees at the 26 field sites were affected by this virus. The research study also concluded that
while honeybees are important and obviously responsible for the multimillion dollar global honey industry, wild bees
are believed to be just as important in pollination of plants throughout the world.

Another probable factor in America is the widespread use of feeding bee colonies with high fructose corn syrup
(HFCS) instead of its natural self-made food honey. For maximum profit, industrialized US bee farms utilize maximum
honey yields, not leaving any honey for the bees to consume during the long colder winter months. It is speculated
that the natural hormonal and enzyme effects interacting with honeys natural nutritional advantages provided bees
with the increased defenses that historically have been effective in fighting off parasitic threats and viruses. In
contrast, the artificially processed HFCS is believe to weaken the immune system of the honeybees genetic strength
to ward off disease.

The largest selling company of honey in the US is the Sioux Honey brand located in Sioux City, Iowa founded in 1921.
More than 35 million pounds of honey are processed at the Sioux City and Anaheim, California plants comprised of a
cooperative of over 300 beekeepers from the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states. Vice president for research and
development Bill Huser interviewed in the local paper last year stated, One of the wrinkles is a focus on increased
diversity in genetics, which the [USDA] reports authors said could help improve bees resistance to disease.
Specifically, they said, genetic variation could help keep the bees body temperature steady, even if the surrounding
environment changes. This would enhance the bees capacity to acclimate to the recent harsher winter conditions
in northern climates.

Most commercial beekeepers transport their bee colonies by truck in the winter to farms in Texas and California to
pollinate in early spring agricultural fields in the warmer regions of the country. However, these last couple winters
with far fewer bees, less pollination occurred during the early spring at the Southern California almond orchards.
Moreover, because of poor management in agricultural farming over many geographical areas growing only one
cash crop, there are far less variety of plants now to pollinate. Bees will not flourish where there exists less
opportunity to work their pollen magic because of a lack of diversity in plant vegetation throughout the year. Thus,
the almond fields of California need more types of crops planted that will attract bees year-round. That same
problem occurs in states like Iowa and Nebraska, once high producers of honey. But in recent decades the agri-
industry choice to maximize profit by planting corn and soybean crops instead of the rich alfalfa and clover fields
that previously offered a healthy habitat for bee pollination has caused a steady decline in bee population.
Additionally, fewer wildflower fields and other natural land space in America in general limit available healthy bee
habitats.

These corrections to introduce a richer diversity that enhances and expands the bee habitat are both very do-able
and obviously urgently needed. Per last months report, federal and state partners have been encouraged to
consider making prudent changes in land management in order to optimize available nutritional forage for
promoting bee health and protecting bee colonies by avoiding use of pesticides. Earlier this month Eugene, Oregon
became the first municipality to ban insecticides in the nation. A bill in California would push the states Department
of Pesticide Regulation to make a decision on its reevaluation of neonicotinoids by July. Maine, New Jersey, and
Vermont are also considering plans to ban the use of neonicotinoids.

The USDA report strongly recommends increased collaboration and information sharing between crop growers and
beekeepers to implement mutually beneficial best known practices. Finally, more research centers designed to learn
effective new and innovative methods to facilitate restoration of bee populations throughout the world are sorely
needed. Just this month the University of Florida announced the plan to build and develop through research grants a
major addition to increase both knowledge and revenue in enhancing the honeybee population.

Another viable solution toward increasing the bee population is implementing programs teaching and training urban
residents to become amateur beekeepers. Many cities are now offering startup assistance to a growing number of
hobbyists of all ages interested in beekeeping. Plus educating urban populations about plant diversity in municipal
gardens will enhance both bee habitats and bee health. With increasing interest and awareness in the profound
importance of nurturing a much larger bee population globally, the progress dividends for both humanity and the
planet will prove immeasurable.