Open Collections

UBC Food System : the importance of bees for global and local food security

University of British Columbia. Sustainability Office

Over the past few years the world’s agriculture and food systems have become increasingly industrialized with the goal of greater efficiency. Since 2004 scientists and farmers alike have begun to see a decline in bee populations, a phenomenon which has been given the name Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). At the same time, many scientists and farmers have come to recognize the important role that pollinators such as bees play in our ecosystems and agroecosystems and how the processes of intensification of agriculture (including the use of pesticides, changes in land use and monocropping) are affecting bee populations all over the world. The UBC Farm at the University of British Columbia is home to 7 colonies of honeybees which contribute to the agroecosystem and ecosystem by pollinating both crop plants and wild plants. It has been discovered that one of the best ways to prevent Colony Collapse Disorder is to limit stresses on the hive. The apiculturists and employees at the UBC Farm have assured a good home for the hives, however they have acknowledged that the number of bees is limited by the availability of food for the bees, and therefore it is recommended that the UBC Farm plant crops and plants that would provide more diverse food sources for their honeybees. This report investigates how bees as pollinators in the farm landscape can help the UBC Farm achieve its goals of proving climate-friendly food. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”

Text

University of British Columbia. AGSC 450; UBC Social Ecological Economic Development Studies (SEEDS) Student Report

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library

10.14288/1.0108657

Land and Food Systems, Faculty of

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/