Bee Friendly Food Alliance

Why do we need to save the bees?

Millions of bees are dying off across the country with alarming consequences for the environment and our food supply. While a number of factors are contributing to the bee die-off, a key one is the increased use of a class of bee-killing pesticides called neonicotinoids, or neonics.

Numerous independent studies, including a 2016 EPA study, confirm neonics are harmful to bees. Neonic use has increased dramatically over the past decade. For example, neonicotinoid pesticide use on corn has increased from 30% to nearly 80% since 2000.

Without bees, major sources of food, including a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables and even coffee and chocolate, would be lost. In addition, because bees pollinate alfalfa eaten by dairy cows — many of our milk products could be lost.

And without bees, we would lose honey. In 2014, honey production from beekeepers who kept five or more colonies totaled 178 million pounds –- that’s a lot of honey! It’s hard to understate the impact on the restaurant industry if we don’t save the bees.

What does the Bee Friendly Food Alliance do?

The alliance keeps chefs, restaurant owners, and others in the food industry updated on the problems facing bees. It also provides opportunities to take action and educate customers about bees. Earlier this year, 235 chefs and restaurateurs sent a letter calling on the EPA to ban bee-killing pesticides.

Another way to get involved is to put the Bee Friendly Food Alliance logo in your restaurant’s window or on the menu to show support for protecting bees.

We’re working to save the bees

We’re educating and engaging tens of thousands of Americans through our No Bees, No Food campaign. Take a look at our work here.