Here is a little fact that should really concern many of us. One thing that the bees help to pollinate in a major way...is coffee! That's right, my friends, COFFEE !
The Coffee Industry
In addition to various fruits and vegetables, bees are also the primary pollinators for coffee. So without bees, our world’s coffee supply would dwindle, and the industry would lose its profitability. At first thought, this seems pretty inconsequential; caffeine is not a human “need,” and the end of coffee wouldn’t mean famine. But a surprising amount of our world’s industry lies on coffee production and sales.
In 2016 alone, Starbucks Coffee raked in $21.3 billion in gross sales. And as of May 2017, the chain had 245,000 employees. Coffee is also a valuable product in Latin America, specifically Guatemala, where a large portion of the population works in the coffee industry. Without bees, this multinational coffee empire would collapse, leaving hundreds of thousands of people out of work across the world.
I had no idea that bees could have that much effect on our morning brew. So if we lose the bees, not only would we more than likely go hungry, but we wouldn't be able to enjoy our morning java either! BUMMER!
Coffee out on the patio this morning. All bees are more than welcome !
