Bees, among the most hardworking creatures on the earth, have benefitted humans, plants, and the environment for generations. Bees and other pollinators transfer pollen from one flower to another, allowing for the generation of more variety and higher quality fruits, nuts, and seeds, contributing to food security and nutrition.
Bees, birds, and bats pollinate 35% of the world's agricultural production, raising yields of 87 of the world's most important food crops, as well as numerous plant-derived medications. Pollinators are necessary for three out of every four crops that produce fruits or seeds for human use.
Celebrating the diversity of bees and beekeeping systems
Millions of beekeepers rely on bees for their livelihood and well-being. Bees, in cooperation with wild pollinators, play a critical role in preserving biodiversity, ensuring the survival and reproduction of many plants, supporting forest regeneration, promoting sustainability and climate change adaptation, and improving the quantity and quality of agricultural productions.
FAO will hold a virtual event to commemorate World Bee Day this year, with the subject "Bee Engaged: Celebrating the Diversity of Bees and Beekeeping Systems."
A video greeting from FAO Director-General QU Dongyu will start off the event, which will feature bee and pollinator experts and practitioners from around the world.
The event will promote awareness of the importance of a diverse range of bees and sustainable beekeeping systems, as well as the dangers and difficulties they confront and their impact on livelihoods and food systems.
The event will be provided in the following languages: English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.
Why a World Bee Day?
We can increase awareness of the vital roles bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the earth healthy by commemorating World Bee Day each year, as well as the numerous problems they face today. We've been celebrating World Bee Day since 2018, owing to the efforts of the Slovenian government and Apimondia, which pushed the United Nations General Assembly to establish May 20 as World Bee Day.
The day Anton Jana, a pioneer of modern apiculture, was born was chosen as the occasion for this event. Jana comes from a family of beekeepers in Slovenia, where beekeeping is a traditional and important agricultural business.
Bees, pollinators, and a variety of other insects are in decline today.
This day gives all of us an opportunity to promote actions that will protect and enhance pollinators and their habitats, improve their abundance and diversity, and support the sustainable development of beekeeping, whether we work for governments, organizations, or civil society, or are concerned citizens.
Timeline leading to World Bee Day
20 May 1734- Slovenia's Breznica Anton Jana was born into a long history of beekeepers and went on to become a pioneer of modern apiculture. Bees were a common topic of conversation among the village's farmers, who gathered to discuss agricultural and beekeeping operations.
1766- Anton enrolled in the first bee-keeping school in Europe.
1769- Janša worked fulltime as a beekeeper.
1771- Discussion on Beekeeping was published in German.
2016- With the backing of Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers' Association, the Republic of Slovenia requested World Bee Day to be observed on May 20 each year at the FAO Regional Conference for Europe.
2017- At the 40th FAO Conference, a proposal for World Bee Day was presented for discussion.
2017- The United Nations General Assembly declared May 20th to be World Bee Day.
20 May 2018- First Observance of World Bee Day.
