One small step for bees, one giant leap for mankind!
The bee, on which hundreds of thousands of species depend, has been under threat on many fronts for a number of years now. With pesticides, disease, insufficient agricultural diversity, the predatory Asian hornet and climate change all taking their toll, the literature since 1995 leaves no doubt: bee populations in Europe and the United States are in decline. In around 20 years, the overwintering mortality rate of the humble bee has risen from 3% to 30%. Given that 75% of agricultural production destined for local consumption relies on pollination, that is not good news. Every new hive is therefore a small step in the right direction to delaying, and perhaps even preventing, the extinction of these vital pollinators.
For a number of years now, Prologis has been doing its bit to boost the bee population gradually installing hives near its facilities. Park Moissy has six hives, Park Gonesse has three as does Park Evry. There are six on Park Isle d’Abeau and three are soon to be installed at Park Marly. But installing hives is not enough. It is equally important to provide an environment in which the bees will thrive and the honey will flow. So Prologis is planting trees and shrubs that produce nectar and pollen and sowing grassland around its warehouses.
While the last few years may have been challenging for bees and for beekeepers, Prologis had a bumper harvest in 2018 producing 245 kilograms of honey! And this production is likely to grown in the years to come, because Prologis is not alone – increasing numbers of tenants are asking for hives so they too can help save the bees.
And there’s more good news for the world of bees. In September 2018, a ban on the use of all neonicotinoids, which are used as an agricultural insecticide and are harmful to bees, came into force. And from September 2019, mandatory country-of-origin labeling will apply to honey which should put an end to misleading labels. Some honey products contain additives such as sugar syrups for example.
Things are moving in the right direction, and Prologis is doing its bit!