Plan Bee: Help Bees by Eating Organic

    We all make a number of food choices every day, and the cumulative impact of choosing organic again and again can make a difference!

    Because of the practices it follows, organic farming has been demonstrated by a number of studies to support more pollinators than conventional farming.

    Organic practices have been found to protect and support the health of bees in two critical ways:

•  Less exposure to toxic chemicals. One of the biggest threats to bee health is exposure to toxic chemical pesticides through insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and other synthetic toxins used in conventional agriculture. Neonicotinoids, a widely used class of insecticides, are found by many studies to be especially harmful to bees. Organic farming standards prohibit an organic farmer from using synthetic pesticides and instead use integrated pest management.
  
• Protection of the bee’s native habitat and biodiversity. Lack of habitat and nutritional food sources are key factors in pollinator decline. Bees need a diversity of plants from which to collect sufficient pollen and nectar to support their hives. Because organic producers are required to manage their farms in a way that maintains and improves the natural resources of that operation, organic farms tend to have a more diverse landscape with more flowering plants to support and feed bees.

    Think of huge monocrop farms that rely on dangerous pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides as Plan A. This plan clearly isn’t working for the pollinators that our food crops need. So let’s move on to Plan Bee: organic and biodynamic farms that sustain the land and the incredible diversity that grows and lives on it. Each time you choose to buy organic products, you’re on Plan Bee—and the bees thank you.