LEISA's Farm

African Fellows Programme, Rothamsted International, UK

posted by Karen

Today I just found this which might be of interest to some of you - please pass it on to your colleagues. Rothamsted International are again running an African Fellows Programme, offering advanced research training for mid-career scientists from Africa. The programme is not designed to fund MSc or PhD research, or field work in Africa. Potential research topics include crop nutrition, soil fertility, post-harvest technology, alternative crops, livestock management and plant protection.

The deadline for "pre-proposals" is 19th June. Applicants who pass this stage will be asked to complete a full proposal with a European partner. Full details and downloadable application forms can be found by clicking here.

The mystery of the dying honey bees

posted by Karen

It is at this time of year that beekeepers the U.S.A. and the U.K. open their beehives after winter - and for at least the third year running, many are reporting that their hives are empty. Both the U.S.A. and the U.K. report that the bee population has dropped by 30%. Other countries report higher figures - Italy's bee mortality rate was reported as 40-50% in 2007 (by the European Food Safety Authority).  

Reasons for this are not clear, though many ideas have been put forward - the varroa mite, pesticide use, or the changing climate.

Einstein is alleged to have said "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more life."

While some find this to be alarmist, many agree that without honey bees, food will get more expensive and some products will disappear altogether. For example, Newsweek published an article last year where Keith Delaplane of the University of Georgia stated "Human beings don't need honeybee pollination" . Interestingly he also compares diets in U.S.A. with what people in Africa eat, and says this is partly defined by bee pollination. 

However, most news items I have seen refer only to Europe and the U.S.A. Knowing that keeping beehives and selling honey and other products from bees provides an income for many small scale farmers in Africa and Asia, I wondered if this problem had been noticed anywhere else in the world. A quick search on the internet provides little information -  so I am throwing the question out to small scale beekeepers in Africa and Asia. Have you noticed more dead bees than usual? Are you worried about these reports? Has it affected your production, or anyone you know? It is important to know if this is a global phenomenon and it would be interesting to hear experiences from any readers.

And while I am here, two previous articles from the LEISA Magazine about bee-keeping:

• From Ethiopia, two examples of recent innovations in bee-keeping
• Indigenous honey bees in Nepal

Meanwhile, please comment here or send your reactions and any experiences about dying honey bees in your area to: leisasfarm at gmail.com  and we will post any interesting messages we receive on the blog.