Italy: Farewell to 3 out of 4 crops with bees extinction

Published 2021년 9월 21일

Tridge summary

A recent Ispra study has highlighted the critical role of bees in food crop pollination, with their contribution valued at about 153 billion euros annually. However, around 9% of bee and butterfly species are at risk of extinction due to unusual climate patterns and the loss of blooms, which are essential for honey production. In Italy, the national honey harvest is projected to reach its lowest levels in recent decades, with an anticipated 25% drop in production this year due to extreme weather events. To avoid imported honey of lower quality, Coldiretti recommends consumers to verify the origin of honey sold and support domestic producers by buying directly from them. There are over 60 types of honey in Italy, produced by about 70,000 beekeepers, mostly who are hobbyists.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Three out of four food crops depend to some extent on bee pollination for yield and quality, including apples, pears, strawberries, cherries, watermelons and melons. This is what Coldiretti affirms in commenting on the Ispra study on the risk of extinction of about 9% of the species of bees and butterflies which through pollination generate an estimated economic value of about 153 billion euros a year on a world scale. 22 billion on a European scale and 3 billion on a national scale. In Italy, the anomalous climatic trend with hot winter, frost in spring and a summer divided between African heat, drought and violent storms - underlines Coldiretti - has destroyed the blooms and created serious problems for the hives with bees that have not the possibility of collecting nectar. The result - explains Coldiretti - is a national honey harvest that this year will probably be well below 15 million kilos, among the lowest in recent decades. In other words, it means the farewell to one pot ...

Source: Coldiretti