In a world without bees, who will feed humanity?

Every flower visited, every fruit formed, every seed carried forward… bees are not just part of the story of food. They are the storytellers.

Each year on May 20, we celebrate World Bee Day to honor the honeybee and shine a light on the 20,000+ bee species quietly shaping life on Earth. In 2025, under the theme "Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all," we explore how bees guide us towards smarter, kinder, and more resilient agricultural systems.

A world of pollinators

When most people think of a honeybee (Apis mellifera), they picture honey dripping from golden combs or the familiar buzz of a hive. But the bee world is far more diverse. There are bumblebees, solitary leafcutter bees, and stingless bees navigating rainforest canopies. These insects have evolved to pollinate plants in almost every ecosystem on Earth, like deserts, forests, greenhouses, and orchards. The Mediterranean region is one of the world's most diverse bee hotspots due to its warm, dry climate that creates favorable conditions for these pollinators.

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Comparison of different bee species

Why bee diversity matters

Different species have distinct foraging behaviors, flight patterns, and floral preferences, making bee diversity essential for crop productivity and ecosystem stability. According to FAO data, over 70% of global crops benefit from insect pollination, including many of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts we rely on. This means that 87 out of 115 of the world's leading food crops would stop producing food if bees cease to exist. In the European Union, 85% of cultivated crops depend on pollinators, while 65% of wild plants rely on them for reproduction.

Pollinators and the global food economy

Pollination contributes to over 30% of global food production and supports one-third of the human diet. Its estimated economic value is €153 billion annually, with crops like coffee, cocoa, soybeans, and fruits directly benefiting. Pollination-dependent crops in the United States generate over $16 billion USD annually.

Yet bees are more than economic drivers.

Nomadic beekeeping: Moving with the seasons, growing with nature

In regions with diverse flowering seasons, nomadic beekeeping is a tradition rooted in ecological timing. Beekeepers move hives, sometimes short distances (micro-nomadism) or across entire regions (macro-nomadism), to follow blooms and maximize nectar collection.

Bees are the bridge between farmers and beekeepers. In nomadic systems, that collaboration becomes essential and mutually beneficial.

How farmers benefit:

Increased yield and quality in fruit and vegetable crops.
Enhanced uniformity in produce, crucial for commercial sales.
Reduced need for chemical pollination substitutes, supporting agroecological practices.

How beekeepers benefit:

Production of rare monofloral honeys, such as citrus, thyme, or pine.
Year-round honey production, thanks to a continuous nectar flow.
Safe, pesticide-aware environments, thanks to clear communication with farmers.
Reliable hive placement areas, away from urban pressures and degraded habitats

Case study: Nomadic beekeeping across Greece's landscapes

In Greece, nomadic beekeepers travel across the country with their hives, chasing seasonal blooms. The journey begins in early spring in the Peloponnesian mountains, where his bees forage on citrus blossoms from orange and lemon groves. This results in a light, floral honey that is highly valued in the market.

As summer arrives, they relocate to the Aegean islands, particularly those rich in wild thyme, such as Crete and Kythera. Thyme honey, one of Greece's most famous varieties, is known for its intense aroma and medicinal properties.

Finally, as summer ends, the nomadic beekeeper heads to the northern region of Halkidiki, where vast pine forests provide an entirely different foraging experience. Here, the bees collect honeydew. Honeydew is a sugary secretion produced by insects feeding on pine sap. This results in a darker, more mineral-rich honey with a distinct flavor profile that is less sweet but more complex, often with notes of resin and earthiness. Pine honey is especially valued in Greece for its high antioxidant content and its ability to boost the immune system.

Bees in action: pollination case studies

Almond orchards: Nature's teamwork

Pollination is not random; it’s a science, and bees are master scientists.

In open-field systems, almond orchards exemplify the critical relationship between bees and agriculture. Almonds rely heavily on bee pollination, with 90-100% nut set achieved when sufficient pollinators are present. Commercial almond orchards typically require 6-7 beehives per hectare (2-3 per acre) to ensure adequate pollination, with managed honeybee colonies introduced early in the blooming season.

For optimal cross-pollination efficiency, almond growers plant pollinizer rows every second row in their orchards. This systematic approach to pollination management demonstrates how agricultural productivity depends on understanding and working with natural pollination systems.

Greenhouse pollination with bumblebees

Since the late 1980s, bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) have transformed tomato production inside greenhouses. Before their introduction, farmers relied on synthetic auxins to simulate pollination. Bumblebees now deliver natural precision, improving fruit quality and drastically reducing chemical use.

Successful greenhouse pollination requires creating optimal conditions for bumblebees, including maintaining temperatures between 23-28°C and relative humidity between 60-75%. When temperatures exceed 30°C, bees shift from foraging to cooling their hives, leaving flowers unpollinated. This illustrates how understanding bee biology directly translates to agricultural productivity. Overcrowded crops, poor water management, or improper hive placement can stress bees, causing them to neglect flowers entirely. Even transport timing affects their efficiency, and that's why many farmers prefer introducing hives early in the morning or late evening.

Interesting fact: A single bumblebee hive can pollinate a 2,000 m² greenhouse.

Final thoughts

Bees are guardians of biodiversity, architects of resilience, and quiet collaborators in climate adaptation. Investing in pollinator-friendly farming is not only good science. It's smart economics and ethical agriculture.

Learn the art and science of beekeeping

At Wikifarmer, we believe that knowledge pollinates minds just as bees pollinate crops. That’s why we’ve developed a comprehensive beekeeping course through our Academy for farmers, beekeepers, and enthusiasts eager to understand both the ancient art and modern science of beekeeping.