Along with many countries around the world, Greece has been, albeit to a lesser extent, witnessing a gradual eradication of bee populations in recent years.

The widespread use of pesticides and drastic changes in the environment due to the climate crisis are probably the main causes of the extinction of bees observed over the last 15 years. The phenomenon has mainly been recorded in the US.

Fani Hatjina, president of the International Federation of Beekeepers Associations (APIMONDIA), said that in some countries, such as the US, the decline in the bee population in hives comes to 60%-70% annually. Apart from the effects of pesticides, climate change is also taking its toll, as plants are blooming earlier than expected.

A 2017 UN resolution stressed the urgent need to protect bees, since without them available food will be dramatically reduced in terms of quantity and variety.

This article was previously published at ekathimerini.com.