To the agriculture industry, it comes as no surprise that pollinators are one of the most critical pieces to growing their crops, yet most consumers are unaware of their importance in their food supply.
Currently, there are 3,500 species of bees in the U.S. today, and honey bees alone pollinate 80% of all flowering plants, including more than 100 types of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, honey bee pollination alone adds more than $18 billion in value to agricultural crops annually.
Each year, farmers spend hundreds of millions of dollars on pollination services. In total, farmers paid $440.7 million for pollinator services in 2022, compared to roughly $320 million in 2017, nearly a 38% increase.
Almonds, the 4th most valuable crop in the U.S., represent the largest market for honey bees, accounting for 80% of payments for pollination services. According to the Cost of Pollination report posted by the USDA, in California, the average cost per colony of bees for almonds increased 13% from $171/colony in 2017 to $194/colony in 2022.
As we enter into 2024, the pollination season starts with almond pollination in February, when upwards of 68% of all commercial U.S. honey bee colonies are used in California to pollinate almonds during the almond bloom.
“Our world's ecosystem and food supply greatly rely on pollinators – without them, many of our nation's crops wouldn't be able to produce as many fruits, nuts or vegetables resulting in lower supplies and higher prices,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Without the help of bees, the world would be without such well-loved foods as chocolate, coffee, peaches, almonds, tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, apples, pumpkins, melons, vanilla and many other fruits, nuts and vegetables.
