Bring Back Bees to Mexico's Degraded Farmlands

Birds, bees and butterflies know no borders. What we spray on plants here in the U.S. affects the survival of bees and bee pollination in Mexico as well as in the US.  One third of all the food we eat requires pollination by a bee, bird, butterfly or bat. And increasingly more of the food Americans eat is grown in Mexico.

Here are some things you can do to help preserve our honey bees, wild bees, and butterflies.

1) If you must spray your plants, use biological oils and herbal repellents or coconut oil soaps; not pesticides. Common U.S. poisons include Merit, Aloft, Arena, Flagship, Combat and Termidor. Read the Label. Better yet, just don't buy any chemical pesticides. They are deadly poison to our pollinators.

2) Plant brightly colored flowering annuals and perennials that bloom at different times to attract pollinators.

3) Donate to Food First's Mexico Bring Back the Bees campaign to help restore pollinator-friendly habitat at http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/bring-back-bees-and-birds-to-mexicos-degraded-lands/

 4) Demand that the US EPA ban brands that contain these chemicals that have already been banned in the Europe--Acetamiprid, Clothianidin, Dinotefuran, Imidacloprid and Thiamethoxam. 

Sign this petition which will be given to the EPA Chief, Gina McCarthy: http://save-bees.org/

5) Educate friends and family about the importance of bees. butterflies, bats and birds in pollinating our food. Forward this e-mail to friends.

The Farmers of the Campesino a Campesino Movement in Latin America have been conserving pollinator habitat through agroecological restoration for years. These farmers teach other farmers how to identify natural pollinators, restore their natural habitat and eliminate pesticides and herbicides so that pollinators can thrive; thus allowing them to grow more food.

But these farmers need our help. Once we understand how critical the problem of pollinator disappearance is, we realize how vitally important the work of the farmers is as they work to save pollinators. Food First's Pollinator work with farmers in Mexico brings back bees (and butterflies, birds, and bats) by reaching people through radio shows, farmers market demonstrations, field demonstrations, workshops and community supported agriculture. Please support this farmer-led campaign to save pollinators.

• Honey Bee Collapse Report (PDF)