Did you know that we wouldn’t have almonds without bees? Most almond consumers are unaware of this dependent relationship, and even more, of the impact that popular almond...
Did you know that we wouldn’t have almonds without bees? Most almond consumers are unaware of this dependent relationship, and even more, of the impact that popular almond farm practices have on bees' livelihood. Industrial farming practices, particularly ones used in the almond industry, are reportedly killing billions of honey bees each year. At Daily Crunch Snacks (Diane's Kitchen, LLC), we’ve committed to source our almonds exclusively from bee-friendly farms in the US.
Bees and Almonds Go Hand-in-Hand
Over one-third of the global food supply relies on pollinators to some degree. Without honey bees in particular, we simply couldn’t have many of the foods we eat everyday, such as almonds, apples, cauliflower, garlic, strawberries, and watermelon to name a few. The list goes on and on. All together, bees play a pivotal role in our ecosystem and global food supply. To meet pollination demands, farmers import millions of honey bees each year. Unfortunately, various industries, the almond industry in particular, rely on industrial agricultural methods which mechanize one of nature’s most delicate natural processes. These outdated and unsustainable practices create threats for bees on many fronts, which can be categorized by: 1) pests & disease, 2) lack of forage & nutrition, 3) incidental pesticide exposure, and 4) hive management. Such threats have left our precious, essential bees dying at record rates on almond farms.
Almond x Bee Facts
Bees cross-pollinate almonds by moving pollen from blossom to blossom between February and March each year
Almond bloom pollen is very nutritious for honey bees, providing them all 10 of the essential amino acids their diets require
Honey bee hives grow stronger from the almond bloom and oftentimes populations increase during the almond bloom
Recent Developments
Commercial beekeepers who send their hives to the almond farms are seeing their bees die in record numbers. These bees, essential to various food industries and the ecosystem, are being killed. Fortunately, interest in protecting pollinators has gained significant momentum in the food industry in recent years. This has resulted in the creation of farm-level verification and certification programs which aim to improve pollinator (bee) habitats and restrict pesticide use. We support the movement to protect the bees. As part of our sustainability journey, we’ve become members of the Pollinator Partnership, who’s mission “is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research”. The partnership sponsors Bee Friendly Farming (BFF) Programs that recognize, engage, and support BFF participants and pollinators everywhere. Daily Crunch Snacks is BFF certified.
How Do You Know If A Brand Is Bee Friendly?
To know if a brand is Bee Friendly, you can look for Bee Friendly labels on packaging or explore a brand’s website to see if they work with farmers with Bee Friendly certifications. While the movement to save the bees is a relatively new one, it’s extremely important to the sustainability of various food industries and our ecosystem at large. If you believe in purchasing from sustainable and eco-friendly brands, you definitely want to make sure they source from farms that treat the bees right. To date, 54,202 acres of almonds have been Bee Friendly certified. Farmers are actively protecting pollinator populations by implementing positive, incremental changes on farms across the nation. It is possible for brands, big and small alike, to take steps towards protecting the bees. Let’s continue to make a difference, together! For more information on honeybee-health awareness, go to www.pollinator.org.
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