‘Four reasons why bees are better than footballers’
The British (UK) government minister Liz Truss says Britain’s bees need to be treated like Premier League football players – but perhaps we should value them more than football’s best paid (1). Here’s why…
1) Honey money – Even though British Premier League footballers are the highest paid in the world there are good economic reasons why bees are worth more because of their value for pollination and food production.
2) Good bee-haviour – Research by Harvard’s School of Public Health suggests the chances of getting stung by a bee are approximately one in 6 million. Bees normally only sting when they feel their hive is threatened, or they are put in danger (i.e. you sit on one). According to the New Statesmen the chance of being bitten by the football player Luis Suarez (OK, if you happen to be playing against him) is around one in 2,000 (though he has promised never to bite anyone again).
3) Caught by the buzz – Premier League and former Premier League footballers have been jailed for a range of crimes including assault, sexual assault, rape, possession of drugs, and operating a brothel. No bee has ever been convicted in UK law for a criminal offence. We suspect this may be true across all global jurisdictions.
4) Bees’ needs – Though it can be difficult to collate specific data on populations, a wide variety of threats are damaging bee populations – from [honey hunting] to neonicotinoid pesticides. Bees need the support of supermarkets to help provide food security for the future and to help the economy as a whole. (British Premier League football players have increased in number nearly 100% since the league was formed.)
UK supermarkets understand the need for social & economic responsibility with products like honey
Supermarket companies in the UK ensure that only genuine bee honey is stocked. Many large supermarkets such as the Cooperative and Waitrose actively try and support bee pollinators (2), (3). This is because they have understood how vital they are for the economy and food production – the business of supermarkets!
Philippine supermarkets have yet to understand this vital issue
Large supermarket companies in the Philippines stock mostly fraudulent ‘honey’ and so are undermining the economy and food production – because many crop yields in the country are dwindling due to the lack of pollinators caused in large part by honey fraud!
References …
1) Four reasons why bees are better than footballers – UK government minister
http://www.channel4.com/news/bees-premier-league-footballer-liz-truss-decline-strategy
2) Cooperative UK supermarket company supporting honeybees
http://www.co-operative.coop/membership/changing-the-world/add-your-voice-to-a-campaign/plan-bee/
3) Waitrose UK supermarket company supporting pollinating bees
http://www.waitrose.com/bees
