What is the Contribution of Bees to Pollination and Agricultural Production?
A bee can visit up to 100 flowers with a speed of up to 30 kilometers per hour on its exploratory flight. Imagine that with 20,000 bees leaving the hive a few times a day, more than 20 million flowers are pollinated. Bees contribute to 80% of pollination, playing a significant role in agriculture and the natural cycle. Their activity contributes to increased production and the healthy continuation of the environment.
Which Fruits and Vegetables Would Not Exist Without Bees?
According to FAO data, bees pollinate 100 products consumed by 90% of the world's population. Pollination of some plant species is carried out only by certain bees. Honeybees are the most valuable pollinators economically, and without them, there can be a yield loss of up to 90% in cultivated plants. For instance, 100% of wheat, 90% of apples, broccoli, onions, sunflowers, 80% of cotton, and 56% of apricots are obtained through bee pollination.
What is Sustainable Beekeeping?
Sustainable beekeeping is a practice based on the principle of using natural resources effectively and maintaining environmental balance while preserving the natural life cycle and populations of bees. This approach aims to ensure the bee population's continuity while preserving the ecosystem's and biodiversity's sustainability.
How is Sustainable Beekeeping Done?
Effective management of land and water resources used for beekeeping, preservation of plant cover and diversity, and ensuring bees' access to natural food sources and pollination activities are crucial. Sustainable beekeeping can be promoted by avoiding harmful pesticides that improve the living conditions of bees and reducing the use of chemicals and pesticides. Raising awareness about the importance of bees and beekeeping activities for the ecosystem and the benefits of sustainable beekeeping for sustainable agriculture also contributes to understanding the value of sustainable beekeeping.
What is BEE&YOU's Contracted Beekeeping Model?
The quality of BEE&YOU's bee products is guaranteed through the "Contracted Beekeeping Model," where production contracts are made directly with beekeepers, and correct beekeeping practices are targeted in the field. Additionally, the naturalness and food safety compliance of BEE&YOU products are verified through analysis, and their biological activities are maintained before they reach consumers. In the "Contracted Beekeeping" model, we first meet beekeepers throughout Anatolia who can produce bee products under a production contract with the assistance of our agricultural engineers. We check the beekeeper's apiary first to ensure that it is located in places with clean water sources, no waste, and factories in the vicinity, away from the road and pesticide-free areas. Thus, we protect the naturalness of our products at every step of production. We attach great importance to our contracted beekeepers not leaving residue-producing pesticides when producing bee products. After acquiring with our beekeepers, we provide them with the necessary equipment to collect propolis and other bee products. Our beekeepers cleanly package the collected bee products and send them to BEE&YOU facilities. Our expert engineers test the products, and their quality is ensured. After these controls, value-added bee products traceable from the hive to the table are produced. Thanks to our Contracted Beekeeping Model, we offer our products to consumers 100% natural and pure by controlling them at every stage. In addition to providing equipment support to our beekeepers, we guarantee their payments. We protect their rights as if they were our own. We make our beekeepers part of the BEE&YOU family. With this model, we eliminate intermediaries and realize "fair trade" by ensuring beekeepers earn income directly.
Furthermore, as part of the social responsibility project carried out by BEE&YOU, 1% of the income from each product sold is collected in a fund to provide beekeepers with more modern equipment to contribute to the sustainability of beekeeping. This money accumulated in the fund is returned to beekeepers to renew their equipment, such as honey extraction machines, modern beehives, honey settling tanks, pollen traps, etc. Thus, the development and sustainability of beekeeping in our country is supported.