World Bee Day

Context

May 20 is celebrated as World Bee Day.

About

World bee day:

World bee day is observed annually on 20 may across the globe.
The day is marked to raise awareness about the essential roles bees play in supporting people and the environment.
It is organised by the food and agriculture organization (FAO)
Theme: The World Bee Day 2022 theme is: “Bee Engaged: Celebrating the diversity of bees and beekeeping systems.”
History:
- The United Nations decided to mark May 20 as World Bee Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of beekeeping pioneer Anton Jansa.
- The Government of Slovenia proposed the idea of celebrating May 20 as World Bee Day in 2016 with the support of Apimondia.
- Slovenia’s proposal to mark the day as World Bee Day was approved by the UN Member States in 2017.
- The resolution called for the implementation of specific conservation measures and emphasised the importance of bee preservation and its importance to humanity.
- In 2018, World Bee Day was observed for the first time.

Significance

Bees are some of the most important pollinators, ensuring food and food security, sustainable agriculture, and biodiversity, and they significantly contribute to the mitigation of climate change and the conservation of the environment.
In the long-term, the protection of bees and the beekeeping sector can help reduce poverty and hunger, as well as preserve a healthy environment and biodiversity.
Bees are also important in terms of sustainable agriculture and creating rural jobs.
By pollinating, they increase agricultural production, thus maintaining diversity and variety in our fields and on our plates.
In addition, they provide millions of people with jobs and are an important source of farmers' income.