Companies in the agrochemical industry and researchers create BEE association
Some of the largest agrochemical companies in the world, together with Sindiveg, Andef, entities of the agricultural productive sector and researchers, officially announced, no dia 07/04/15, the creation of A.B.E.L.H.A Association, originally from “need for dialogue with the people involved with the theme of bees”.
The aim is “create a collaborative network, looking at the entire production chain, pollination and bee products.” Also according to Ana Lúcia Assad, executive director of A.B.E.L.H.A, in an interview with Epoca magazine reproduced below: “the association is putting together a council of researchers (it already has 15 members) and prepares an edict to fund research in the area.”
This movement, which brings together under a single association, companies with the equivalent economic power to some countries, and in Brazil compete for a market valued at about US $ 10 billion (since 2012 our country has become the largest consumer of pesticides in the world!), It demonstrates the importance that the theme of the decline of pollinators can play in this scenario. It should be remembered that Europe and North America has put pressure on the market of these industries, with measures that either banning or restricting the use of certain categories of pesticides (in particular systemic, known as neonicotinoids) the effects they cause on pollinators. A theme that also puts light on the use of these review processes pesticide categories in Brazil, underway in Ibama, and forecast for deliberations this year 2015.
Obviously we consider legitimate the creation of this association, once, in its genesis, It represents the interests of a sector directly related to the discussion of the causes, world not everything, do CCD, death of bees or decline of pollinators. Agribusiness, in turn, You need ecosystem pollination services offered irreplaceable way by the various pollinators, in particular of its main agents, bees. Pollination services are valued at 10% of agricultural GDP and represent quality and productivity gains in crops. So to speak, this is the convergence point, the common interest.
Like this, if the purpose of this Association and its members is to make people aware of the importance of bees and their pollination activity, improve practices in the field, spread apiculture and beekeeping as essential activities of the agricultural production chain, undertake efforts to develop formulas and not harmful molecules to pollinators (while effective in the necessary pest control), foster new solutions for biological pest control, produce knowledge free, is, in the last instance, combat the serious problem of bee mortality, protecting them, the initiative is welcome.
Below is the report from the Journal Times site, announcing the creation of the Association.
ALEXANDRE MANSUR
07/04/2015 08h50 –
Companies and scientists create association to research bees
The Association for Study of Bees, with the Bee acronym, intends to fund and disseminate studies on the role and pollinator insect production
Big business of agricultural technology have joined a group of researchers to survey the health of hives in Brazil. The group created the Brazilian Association of Bees Study (whose acronym is Bee). "The institution was born of the need for dialogue between those involved with the theme of bees", says Ana Lúcia Assad, Entity Director. Ana Lucia is the sister of Eduardo Assad, Embrapa, one of the nation's leading climate researchers. She took the Bee, which grew out of a Syngenta initiative, seeds manufacturer, fertilizers and pesticides. After, They entered the Bayer and Basf companies. Boards, they sought some researchers linked to the subject and founded the Bee. Now, the association is setting up a council of researchers. "We already have 15 members ", says Ana Lucia.
According to Ana Lucia, the purpose of the Bee is to promote and disseminate scientific knowledge on the ecology of bees and beekeeping on. "The strategy is to create a collaborative network. Our proposal is to look at the entire production chain, Pollination by bees Products ", says. The Bee today launches a book study builds on the role of pollinator insects honey makers. The book comes out in digital version on the site Bee. Ana Lucia says the bee is preparing a bid to fund research in the area.
One of the mysteries regarding bees are the environmental threats they face. Few years ago, scientists is reporting cases and appalling numbers of disappearance and death of bees in the United States and Europe, in some cases in Brazil. This phenomenon, called the collapse syndrome of beehives (CCD its acronym in English) is a mystery to science, says entomologist Decius Gazzoni, Soy Embrapa, and one of the advisors of the Bee. "The beekeeper can lose 60% the hives in a year. And gets the following year. It is hard to discover the causes of the incident ", the firm. There is a list of possíves responsible for the disappearance and death of bees. "They can be mites or pests. Or habitat loss, as the disappearance of forests ", says. Or even inappropriate use of chemicals in agriculture. "Apparently a cause alone can not be singled out", says Decio
.According Decius, There mortalities cycles so reported by science in the last 170 years. They occur roughly every 15 or 10 years. The peak of the latest wave of CCD was between 2008 is 2010. Since then, second Decius, episodes decreased. One of the problems to investigate CCD is below the affected bees, which often disappear in the forest. Now, scientists are preparing microscopic radio transmitters with GPS. They are glued to the backs of bees. "They are very light. Has 2% Weight Bee ", says Decio. With these devices, you can follow the bees affected by the syndrome and do biopsies to identify the cause of death.
Ana Lucia says that the interest of the founding and funding companies Bee will have no interference with the results of scientific surveys or disclosed by the association. "If the research indicates some relationship between chemicals and mortality of bees, they will be released. The results are always published ", the firm. "The studies point to a synergy of factors affecting bees, as climate and habitat destruction. But there will be no control or commercial interest. We are here to disseminate scientific information ', says Ana Lucia.
Bee health no matter only to those who consume honey, propolis and royal jelly. It is essential for agriculture. Without the pollination services of bees, we would have trouble keeping food production and preserve forests. Between 70% is 75% of agricultural crops depend on some degree of animals for pollination. Bees are the most important group of these pollinators. Fruits like passion fruit, avocado, Blackberry, papaya, orange, Apple, peach and pear depend heavily on bees. In some cases, as passion fruit, without pollination of bees, there is some production. In other cases, as of strawberries, if no bees to pollinate the crop, the fruit is deformed and no commercial value.
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