Overview
- On Wednesday, May 20, global events framed by the FAO theme “Bee Together for People and the Planet” brought national ministries, environmental groups and beekeepers together to raise public awareness about pollinators and food systems.
- Scientists and agencies warned that human drivers—widespread pesticide use, habitat loss and fragmentation, intensive monocultures, invasive species and climate-driven shifts in flowering—are the main causes of observed bee declines.
- Mexico reported a strong apiculture year with record honey output in 2025 of about 60,297 tonnes, a sector that supports tens of thousands of producers but faces high informality and an aging workforce.
- Practical responses promoted during the day included tighter pesticide management, planting native melliferous species and urban biocorridors, sanitary campaigns for hives and targeted support and training for apiculturists through programs like Promote Pollinators and GIZ cooperation.
- The stakes are agricultural and social: FAO estimates pollination supports roughly three quarters of food crops and CONABIO/INEGI data show about 85% of Mexico's 236 edible cultivated plants that are eaten for fruit or seed rely on pollinators, putting nutrition and rural livelihoods at risk if declines continue.