A new study suggests the number of domesticated honeybee colonies is
on the rise globally despite a collapse in recent years across North
America and Europe that heightened worries honeybee populations are in
danger around the world.

"The honey bee decline observed in the USA and in other European
countries, including Great Britain, which has been attributed in part
to parasitic mites and more recently to colony collapse disorder,
could be misguiding us to think that this is a global phenomenon,"
said Marcelo Aizen of Universidad Nacional del Comahue in Argentina.

The two researchers looked at data from the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and discovered that, since 1961, the number of
managed honey-bee hives has increased by about 45 per cent. They say
this growth in hives corresponds to rising production of honey but
that at the same time, the amount of agriculture requiring animal
pollination has risen more dramatically.

Agricultural production requiring pollinators such as honeybees made
up 6.1 per cent of all agricultural production in 2006, compared to
3.6 per cent in 1961. The researchers say this shift was driven by
economic forces, as insect-pollinated fruit and nuts are often
high-value crops.

"The Global Stock of Domesticated Honey Bees Is Growing Slower Than
Agricultural Demand for Pollination"
Marcelo A. Aizen and Lawrence D. Harder in: Current Biology 19, 1–4,
June 9, 2009

"Long-Term Global Trends in Crop Yield and Production Reveal No
Current Pollination Shortage but Increasing Pollinator Dependency
Marcelo A. Aizen, et al in: Current Biology 18, 1572–1575, October 28, 2008

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