Hi fellow steemers thanks for coming by.
About 10 years ago the world health organization, WHO declared butter unhealthy because if you isolate one cholesterol it might cause cancer. To promote margarine sales. A product known to cause a whole slue of problems in all that eat it. But that is fader for another post. Local health boards have seen fit to make it against health boards rules for reastrants to cook with or provide butter to their patrons. They did not extend this to supermarkets as they would not have been able to withstand the public out cry.
As a result. Dairies began being docked for fat in the milk. So they made radical changes to their farming practices. First they had to lower the fat producing component in the feed. That was alfalfa cutting at flower instead of at 10 20% significantly lowers the quality of the feed. And completely eliminates all the available nectar sources in dairy country. This also dramatically reduces the lifespan of the alfalfa forceing replacement in 4 years instead of the usual 20 for properly harvested deep rooted varieties. Deep rooted varieties are very hard to find. Replaced by shorter lived shallow rooted that require irrigation.
The cows were also confined to the barn during the entire milking period which is about 2 years. in our area this happed at the same time. As a result the need for pasture land was almost eliminated.
The two together completely eliminated our once abundant honey crops.
This lack of food forces the bees onto the only available source of pollen in the summer. Corn. Because the almost unavailable non gmo non treated corn this food is contained with both gmo and nonics.
Put the two together, lack of biodiversity and chemical contamination, and you have a stress level that the bees cannot handle. You now see ccd happen. Bees start to have 40 to 60 % losses each winter.
Unfortunately the dairy industry cannot see much farther than their own needs. And not the needs of the environment that supports them. They are exceptions to the norm here. Both in the reastrant industry and the dairy.
The problem starts with WHO they support the industrial complex. Drug manufacturers mostly. Drug manufacturers depend on a steady stream of sick people and animals. Agricultural chemical manufacturers provide the means to keep the quality of the foods low and well laced with known health damaging chemicals such as roundup and nonics.
How do we reclaim the health of our environment?
1st and foremost do not buy an food or product that contains chemicals or produced in food factories such as commercial dairies. Buy from restaurants that protect your health. The taste of the food is just the first reward.
2nd lobby your government and the offending corporations with petitions and letters.
3rd grow your own food and buy only from growers that grow sustainably. Certified organic in North America meens little.
As a beekeeper
1st move bees to clean pastures in the dry summer season
2nd rigorously rotate your comb chemicals accumulate in the wax and stores 4 years is recommended 3 if you are in an area if serious problems.
3rd never feed back honey as the bees have been under stress there will be a higher desease risk and you will be feeding back last year's chemical combinations.
4th education. Teach your nabours about the importance of no spray an planting with bees in mind.