The days are getting longer and longer, the sun is warmer, and it is wonderful to see gardens and balconies filled with flowers. With their bright colors, they are not only beautiful to look at but also precious to a small animal that, following the rhythm of the seasons, resumes its industrious activity in spring. Have you guessed who we are talking about? Bees, of course! And did you know that they even have a day dedicated to them? It was established in 2017 by the United Nations General Assembly, at the request of Slovenia, and is held every year on May 20, the birthday of Anton Janša, a pioneer of modern beekeeping techniques. 
But why are bees so important?

The work of bees

When bees detect, from the scent spreading through the air, that flowers are producing nectar and pollen, they go out and begin the laborious collection of these precious nutrients, essential for the life of the hive, especially during the winter rest period.

Nectar gives bees energy through vitamins, sugars, and additional nutrients, and it is the basis for honey production. Pollen, on the other hand, is mainly used to feed the larvae and the worker bees involved in producing royal jelly.
Above all, bees play a leading role in the extremely important process of pollination: while seeking nectar, when they land on flowers, their legs become coated with pollen, and as they fly from flower to flower, they carry it—even for many kilometers from the flower of origin—thus enabling plants to reproduce. Pollen, nectar, and the activity of bees are therefore essential for maintaining the biodiversity of many ecosystems.
In recent times, however, the increasingly widespread use of insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides has been disrupting the delicate balance of the Earth's ecosystem. Climate change, the reduction of bees' natural habitats, new diseases, and other threats do the rest.

A world without bees

Without bees, countless plants would be unable to reproduce and thrive. This applies to almost 70% of food crops and around 90% of wild plants!
Bees are not the only pollinating insects, but they are the most efficient, and their disappearance would cause a reduction in food diversity and consequently in agricultural activities as well, with irreparable economic repercussions. The monetary value of the “pollination work” performed by insects is estimated at approximately 15 billion euros per year in Europe alone.
Bees and other pollinating insects are becoming fewer and fewer, and with their gradual disappearance, human life is also at risk. Researchers state that if bees became extinct, our species would cease to exist within 5 years. 

Foods we could lose if bees…

Among the varieties that depend most on the work of bees are some of the most widely consumed fruits and vegetables: strawberries, apples, pears, citrus fruits, peaches, cherries, plums, kiwis, melons, watermelons, tomatoes, courgettes, squash, coffee, cocoa, and so on.

Just think of how many products bees provide us with! Greater protection for these precious insects is therefore necessary, and this is precisely why Bee Day is celebrated around the world.

The Reason for World Bee Day

Bee Day therefore aims to raise everyone’s awareness of the importance of protecting bees and to remind us that we depend on bees, which, together with other pollinators (butterflies, gnats, bats and hummingbirds), enable countless plants, including many food crops, to reproduce.
For this reason, it is becoming increasingly important to protect bees by preserving ecosystems and biodiversity. 
Pope Francis, in the Encyclical Letter on caring for our common home, Laudato si’, writes: “When analyzing the environmental impact of an economic initiative, it is customary to consider the effects on the soil, water and air, but a careful study of the impact on biodiversity is not always included, as if the loss of certain species or groups of animals or plants were something of little importance. Roads, new crops, fences, water reservoirs and other constructions gradually take over habitats and sometimes fragment them in such a way that animal populations can no longer migrate or move freely, putting some species at risk of extinction.”