The rapid decline in the honey bee population for the past several years may not set a blaring red alarm to the average person, but did you know that one out of every three bites of food you consume comes from plants pollinated by honeybees? Now you’re paying attention! The continuing decline of pollinators comes with a price; to see more check out this interesting news article from PR Newswire where a Whole Foods Market takes a look at its produce section.
To raise awareness of just how crucial pollinators are to our food system, the University Heights Whole Foods Market store temporarily removed all produce that comes from plants dependent on pollinators. They pulled from shelves 237 of 453 products – 52% of the department’s normal product mix.
Some of those products removed include:
- Apples
- Onions
- Avocados
- Carrots
- Mangos
- Lemons
- Limes
- Honeydew
- Cantaloupe
- Zucchini
- Summer squash
- Eggplant
- Cucumbers
- Celery
- Green onions
- Cauliflower
- Leeks
- Bok choy
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Broccoli rabe
- Mustard greens
Over the summer the Whole Foods Market took a stand to help pollinators by donating 10 cents from every pound of organic summer squash sold June 12-25 to The Xerces Society. The Xerces Society is concerned about the declining pollinator population. Since pollinators are so important to food system the Xerces Society are working “with farmers nationwide to help them create wildflower habitat and adopt less pesticide-invasive practices”.
Whole Foods Market is working to “bee part of the solution” in many other ways. 1) Bee Organic, 2) Bee savvy at home, 3) Bee a gardener, 4) Bee a smart shopper. Other vendors are also donating to The Xerces Society through there “Share the Buzz” signs. See how you can make a change in your community to help pollinators and honeybees.
