Switzerland’s battle of the bees

The risk to bees through pesticides and the ensuing effects on the world’s food crops have been the source of much debate. But do Swiss measures to support the domestic honeybee disadvantage the equally important wild bee? Albert Einstein is sometimes credited with saying: “If the bee disappeared from the surface of the earth, man would only have four years to live”. The famed physicist (and one-time Swiss resident) probably never said those words. Nonetheless the quote serves a purpose when trying to raise awareness of the broader issue of biodiversity loss. Around 70% of crops - fruits, vegetables, oilseeds, spices, coffee and cocoa - depend completely or almost completely on animal pollination. Domestic bees have received much attention since it became clear that they are threatened by our use of pesticides. Such enthusiastic support from the media, politicians and the public means that Switzerland’s honeybee population is currently very healthy, experts say. City folk are...