As honey bee numbers drop, US sees threat to food supply

Honey bees, which play a key role in pollinating a wide variety of food crops, are in sharp decline in the United States, due to parasites, disease and pesticides, said a federal report released on Thursday.

Genetics and poor nutrition are also hurting the species, which help farmers produce crops worth some US$20 billion to US$30 billion (HK$155.2 billion to HK$232.8 billion) a year.

Honey bee colonies have been dying and the number of colonies has more than halved since 1947, said the report by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agriculture Department.

via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/commodities/article/1229158/honey-bee-numbers-drop-us-sees-threat-food-supply