Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 1651
to socially minded honeybees, a managed
species brought to America from Europe
in the 1600s. That's because bee colonies
controlled by people can be more easily ana-
lyzed, whereas tracking feral, native bees that
don't work for a queen is more challenging.
But alarm bells are being sounded for these
solo species.
In Europe, researchers claim 24 per-
cent of bumblebees are heading toward
extinction. "We have 4,000 species of native
bees in North America and we know little
about their status because people are not
studying them," says Jepsen. "One-third of
bumblebees—the furry, robust, teddy bear
type, which normally buzz from f lower to
f lower—are facing extinction. We have this
huge fauna of native bees providing pollina-
tion to agriculture, but no one is monitoring
them. Diversity in pollinators provides an
insurance policy."
Restoring habitats. Studies show that
restoring wild habitats near farms nurtures
native bees and reduces soil erosion and loss
of irrigation water. Successes have been seen
in the form of increased production. One
Michigan farm's blueberry yield increased by
20 percent, and a California cherry tomato
farm saw nearly tripled production. The
good news is this important area is beginning
to get the focus it needs; for example, a big
part of the conservation work of The Xerces
Society involves restoring native habitats in
the national landscape.
Focusing on all pollinators. The
Obama administration is moving to com-
prehensively address the pollinator cri-
sis. Directives include increasing foraging
sources on federal lands and assessing the
effects of neonics and other pesticides,
though not limiting or banning them.
Approximately $50 million has been ear-
marked within the USDA for research and
public-private grants to enhance pollinator
habitats. Power lines and pipelines will also
be evaluated to make sure they're not inter-
fering with pollinator wildlife.
Jepsen is encouraged by the president's memorandum establish-
ing a task force to address pollination issues, but she still stresses the
gravity of what may still be to come.
"There are real pollination shortages in some parts of the world,"
warns Jepsen. "We haven't seen that in the United States. Yet."
Julie Besonen is food editor for Paper magazine and a restaurant columnist for nycgo.com.
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