Honey Bees

New research is to be undertaken to try and discover why there has been a marked decline in honey bees, who perform a vital pollinating function in the ecological system. The decline in the number and variety of wild flowers is thought to be a contributing factor by some.

I am fortunate to live in the heartland of a National Park where much of the farming in the area is now organic. The richness of the countryside and the abundance of wild flowers compared to a few years back just goes to show that the benefits of organic farming go beyond just the production of healthier food.

Nevertheless it is important to remember that many people cannot afford to pay the exra for organic and in some parts of the world millions stare starvation in the face because of draught, pests and crop failure. We owe to them the responsibility to ease their plight and this will in part mean resorting not only to pesticides but to genetic modification of crops to create strains which can cope.

There is a balance to be struck between environmental preservation and human suffering and however important it is to cut a better deal with nature, we must also give priority where needed in the world to feed the hungry. If you think your task is done by just promoting organic and opposing every other form of husbandry, look into the eyes of a starving child and think again.