As you may already know, we have a very serious crisis going on with bees.
It is referred to as the colony collapse disorder (CCD) and is something that should be on everyone’s radar screen.
Why should we care about CCD?
Bees play an essential role in our food supply – they pollinate our plants. Without bees, it is estimated that we will have four years to live. Right now, the bee population is shrinking by 30% each year.
What’s causing CCD?
Many people believe that CCD is a result of all of the toxic chemicals that we spray on our crops and the huge amount of GMOs that we plant, which provide for no biodiversity.
In an effort to support the bees, Whole Foods has launched a great initiative to educate consumers about this problem and to help raise funds in order to reverse their disappearance. For the months of June and July, Whole Foods is offering its shoppers the following:
· Education: Find stories, videos and more ways to support honey bees at www.wholefoodsmarket.com/sharethebuzz.
· Movies: Whole Foods has an online film festival called Do Something Reel. For the month of June, the film “Queen of the Sun: What the Bees are Telling Us” will be featured. See the trailer below.
· Fundraising: For every organic cantaloupe sold at Whole Foods from June 13 to 26, 25 cents will be donated to Xerces, a non-profit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will offer a 1:1 match for all donations made to Xerces.
I am very happy that Whole Foods has stepped up to the plate and is using its resources to bring attention to this incredibly important cause. When Whole Foods decides to get behind something, it can really move the needle.
But we cannot rely on Whole Foods alone to solve the problem. It will require the participation of every single one of us. The consequences of CCD are too disastrous to ignore.