We’re Nuts for Bees

The world needs DELICIOUS – and DELICIOUS needs bees. Bees are responsible for 1 in 3 bites of food we eat, including almonds and honey– two of my favorite forms of delicious. But, with honey bees dying off at a rate of 30% per year, we can’t afford to sit idly. That’s why Justin’s is Nuts For Bees. We’re joining forces with Xerces Society, People & Pollinators Action Network and Growing Gardens to do our part at the national, state and local level.  None of it alone will solve the problem, but together, and with your help, we can save the pollinators–and in the process, delicious.

What’s all this buzz about pollinators, you ask? And we’re not just talking about bees here. While bees are the most common, butterflies, birds, moths, beetles and bats are pollinators too! Fun fact: Pollinators are required for about 80% of all food crops worldwide, which means that our meals would be pretty sad without them. So, next time you’re sitting down for dinner, give a bee a hug. (Not literally. You will probably get stung.)

Sadly, these pollinators are struggling. Beekeepers have reported a loss of about 40% of honeybee colonies per year, and based on the number of almond orchards in California, beekeepers in the golden state have only a quarter of the hives they need to pollinate their crops. Yikes. In January 2017, the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee was the first bee in the continental U.S. to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. If this doesn’t scare you, here’s some food for thought: without these essential pollinators, we wouldn’t have any almonds, honey, or chocolate. Now that’s nightmare-worthy.

Obviously, we have to do something. To start, Justin’s is teaming up with The Xerces Society, a non-profit recognized internationally as a leader in pollinator conservation. Over the past four decades, they have focused on protecting endangered species and their habitats, produced groundbreaking publications on insect conservation, and trained thousands of farmers to protect and manage habitat. On the state level, we’re proud to support People and Pollinators Action Network (PPAN), a Colorado-based organization that works to promote sustainable agricultural practices and improve our environment by creating movement to build community awareness, change policies and support best practices in pollinator conservation.

In our own backyard in Boulder, Colorado, we’re joining forces with  Growing Gardens, a local non-profit dedicated to enriching lives through sustainable, urban agriculture. Our contribution and volunteer days will replace 16 hives, help to plant and maintain Growing Garden’s Pollinator Garden, and provide scholarships and classroom visits for over 800 children to learn about pollinator conservation.

It’s the little things we can all do that make a difference. By providing food, water and habitat, you can do your part to protect these critical species. Your home and garden are the perfect place to start. Planting regionally appropriate wildflowers is another simple way to help bees, and contribute to pollinator conservation. Plus, it’s fun and pretty.

Without bees, there’d be no Justin’s, and we can’t save the bees without the rest of our colony – you.