Seeds of Destruction: Hijacking of the World’s Food System | Global Research
Birds and bees are something most of us take for granted
as part of nature. The expression “teaching about the birds and the
bees” to explain the process of human reproduction to young people is
not an accidental expression. Bees and birds contribute to the essence
of life on our planet. A study by the US Department of Agriculture
estimated that “…perhaps one-third of our total diet is dependent,
directly or indirectly, upon insect-pollinated plants.”[1]
The honey bee, Apis mellifera, is the most important pollinator of
agricultural crops. Honey bees pollinate over 70 out of 100 crops that
in turn provide 90% of the world’s food. They pollinate most fruits and
vegetables — including apples, oranges, strawberries, onions and
carrots.[2] But while managed honey bee populations have increased over
the last 50 years, bee colony populations have decreased significantly
in many European and North American nations. Simultaneously, crops that
are dependent on insects for pollination have increased. The phenomenon
has received the curious designation of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD),
implying it could be caused by any number of factors. Serious recent
scientific studies however point to a major cause: use of new highly
toxic systemic pesticides in agriculture since about 2004.
If governments in the EU, USA and other countries fail to impose a
total ban on certain chemical insecticides, not only could bees become a
thing of the past. The human species could face staggering new
challenges merely to survive. The immediate threat comes from the
widespread proliferation of commercial insecticides containing the
highly-toxic chemical with the improbable name, neonicotinoids.
Neonicotinoids are a group of insecticides chemically similar to
nicotine. They act on the central nervous system of insects. But also on
bees and small song birds. Recent evidence suggests they could also
affect human brain development in newborn.
