Bee-savers seek 4,500 signatures for petition to create bee-friendly environment

Friends of the Earth (FoE) Malta has joined 90 organisations from across the EU who together have launched a European Citizens’ Initiative to collect at least one million signatures in a bid for bee-friendly agriculture and a healthy environment.

FoE Malta will be collecting 4,500 signatures. The NGO stressed that bees all over the world, including Malta – where more than 100 bee species can be found in the wild – are in trouble. 

“Right now, they need us almost as much as we need them. The decline in bees' diversity and abundance would have a serious impact on how our natural world functions.”

The NGO highlighted that this included food crops. “Bees pollinate much of the food that makes our diets healthy and tasty – from the apple in our lunchbox, to the tomatoes on our pizza.”

“We are facing an emergency with nature disappearing at an unprecedented rate. We are launching this campaign to show that the public supports decision-makers to take much bolder steps to transform our agriculture, save nature and support sustainable farmers that protect our countryside.”

FoE Malta said the campaign stood shoulder-to-shoulder with farmers and farm workers. Together they are demanding a just transition for farmers to support them through the switch to the –pesticide-free, sustainable farming which is needed to better take care of the environment.

“It comes at a time when millions of farmers are being squeezed out by unfair prices, the lack of political support and big corporations. Four million small farms disappeared between 2005 and 2016 in the EU.”

FoE said that citizens want a system that no longer damages biodiversity and ecosystems or puts consumer’s health at risk, but instead ensures the livelihood of bees and farmers alike and is healthier for people. “With our initiative, we are committed to making this kind of agriculture a reality throughout Europe.” 

Interested parties can visit http://foemalta.org/beesaver to sign the petition. 

READ ALSO: Emergency from inside the world of the Maltese honey bee