Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 4723 Reducing pesticides. In Minnesota, a punishing winter contributed to a decline of nearly 48 percent in the managed honeybee population. Extended periods of low tem- peratures meant colonies could not access food and starved. The state is working to enact solutions. The most recent legislative session passed two bills to protect bees from pesticides: one bars nurseries from falsely labeling plants "bee-friendly" when they've been pre-treated with lethal insecticides; the second compensates beekeepers for pesti- cide-related colony losses. But even if food crops are not treated with pesticides, there is the danger of pesti- cide drift from a neighboring farm. If spray- ing occurs while a crop is in bloom and bees are actively feeding, the risk remains. Masterman and other bee experts are realistic about big agriculture's reliance on pesticides. But they do advocate restricting their use for cosmetic purposes. "I'd rather limit it and rethink it," she says. "Farmers don't want to kill the bees either, so we need to talk to them and see what kind of other choices they can make." Beyond managed populations. Threats to solitary bees are rarely men- tioned in contrast to the publicity given HOW TO BECOME A BEE SUPPORTER S hare these small steps with customers to get the word out about helping your local bees, and beyond. • Plant a pollinator garden with a variety of flower colors and shapes that bloom at different times so nectar and pollen will be available throughout the growing season. • Buy bee-safe organic plants and potting soil. Neonics are commonly applied to plants sold in garden stores and nurseries, which means home gardeners can unwittingly kill pollinators. • Call a no-kill removal service, not an exterminator for nuisance beehives or swarms at your home or office. • Be label-aware by supporting pure honey. More than half of the honey Americans consume each year is imported, oftentimes adulterated with corn or cane sugar. 32 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com