Dec. 1, 2013

In the past six years, millions of beehive colonies have collapsed in North America alone.

 

During the winter of 2012/2013, surveys of professional beekeepers led experts to estimate that 31 percent of managed bee colonies died. The previous winter, beekeepers lost about 21 percent of their colonies.

 

In a normal year, beekeepers expect to lose about 15 percent. But the last six years have been anything but normal and beekeepers have been experiencing an average of double the expected losses, year after year.

 

It's not just managed bee colonies that are on the decline. Wild bee numbers are also in a downward trend in North America. This trend is especially alarming given that a great deal of food in the U.S. depends on bee pollination from both managed and wild bee colonies.

In fact, economists estimated the dollar contribution of honeybees to our food supply is about $20 billion every year. That's a sobering thought considering the acceleration of bee colony collapse.

 

The cause of colony collapse isn't well understood. The government says it's a combination of things – parasites, infections, and pesticides. But a number of large groups point to a specific pesticide commonly used on corn and other staple crops as the main culprit. In Europe, they've banned this pesticide for two years to see if bee populations stabilize.

 

But in the U.S., officials say the evidence isn't clear enough

How Bad Is It?

The demand for bee-pollinated crops is on the rise even as bee populations are falling.

 

Managed colonies have declined from 6 million to 2.5 million during the last half century, and farmers are starting to feel the strain. In California, almond growers depend on bees to bring their crop to market. Currently, they need 60 percent of all bee colonies in the nation to work their farms during pollination season. That's just for a single crop!

 

If bee populations continue to decline in the U.S., foods like almonds, avocados, berries, plums, and dozens of others will be competing for pollination.

 

That means your local grocery store will likely be carrying a lower variety of foods. And many common foods will become much more expensive. Imagine if something as simple as a pear became a luxury item. If these trends continue, that could happen

Protecting Your Food Security

The threats to your food security are mounting.

 

Our power grid is in decline, which could have a significant impact on the food distribution system. The growing threat of social unrest could disrupt the food supply. Our economy is teetering on collapse, which will cut off standard food deliveries to many areas in the country. Wild weather events, like droughts and freak blizzards, have already caused multiple spikes in food prices.

 

And now, we learn that collapsing bee colonies and declining populations of these crucial pollinators threaten even the process of growing food. Frankly, your easy and ready access to groceries at your local store could become non-existent at any time and without any notice.

 

Which is why it is so critical that you begin developing a food reserve for you and your family.

 

Begin with a short-term plan. Immediately take steps to secure 30 days of non-perishable food for your household. To comfortably survive a month-long disruption to the food supply, you need to have 2000 daily calories on hand for each person in your home.

Once you've set up your short-term food reserve, it's time to consider a longer-term strategy. Most of the problems that threaten our access to food have the potential to cause issues for a very long time... even years.

 

Building a long-term food security strategy means building up your food reserve even further and then taking steps to plan for how you'll get additional food during a drawn-out crisis. (DO NOT count on the government to provide for you... once the you-know-what hits the fan, there is no way they'll be able to.)

 

Three things to consider as part of your long-term strategy:

• Store bartering items as part of your food reserve. Things like alcohol, salt, razors, and sewing kits may be in high demand during a crisis. You could use these to trade for food.

   

   

• Learn your local market. Even if the food supply breaks down, local farmers will likely continue to grow and sell their goods. Knowing who grows what and where will put you one step ahead during a crisis.

   

   

• Begin growing and preserving your own food. The best long-term plan is to increase your long-term self-sufficiency. Becoming a gardener is a great way to do that.

 

 

Yours in Self-Reliance,

Lee Bellinger, Publisher

Independent Living

 

lee@email.americanlanternalerts.com