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For thousands of years, bees and humans have shared a mutually beneficial relationship. Ancient rock paintings from Pachmarhi and Madhya Pradesh show honey collection, while Vedic scriptures mention bees, honey, and hives. Honey and other hive products—royal jelly, bee venom, and propolis—are widely used in traditional medicine to treat burns, arthritis, respiratory infections, and even cancer. Beekeeping is believed to predate agriculture, supporting early farming through improved crop pollination. India hosts six important honey bee species: Apis dorsata (Rock bee), Apis laboriosa (Himalayan bee), Apis cerana indica (Indian hive bee), Apis florea (Dwarf bee), Apis mellifera (European/ Italian bee), and Tetragonula iridipennis (Stingless bee). Of these, A. cerana and A. mellifera are the most commonly domesticated. In the Indian Himalayas, particularly in Uttarakhand, beekeeping was deeply ingrained in local traditions, with rural households keeping A. cerana in log or wall hives for honey, which was often used medicinally. A. cerana, native to Asia, is smaller and better suited to Himalayan climates. A. mellifera, introduced later, is larger and yields more honey, making it preferable for commercial ventures. Yet, bees are more than just honey producers—they are vital pollinators, central to the health of ecosystems and food production. However, modern pressures—urbanization, forest degradation, changes in agriculture, and climate change—have led to the decline of traditional beekeeping and the loss of pollinator habitats. This has resulted in pollination deficits, where reduced pollinator activity leads to lower yields and poorer crop quality.
Pollination is the process of transferring pollen from a flower's male part to its female part, enabling fertilization and fruit and seed formation. While many animals act as pollinators—bees, butterflies, birds, bats, beetles, and flies—bees are the most efficient. Over 25,000 bee species worldwide pollinate more than 70 per cent of crop varieties, including fruits, vegetables, spices, oilseeds, and fibers. About 35 per cent of the global food supply depends on pollination by bees. In India, crops like fruits, vegetables, pulses, and oilseeds benefit greatly from pollination. In states like Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, farmers rent bee colonies during flowering—paying Rs. 1,200–Rs. 1,500 per hive, which has led to a 20–30 per cent increase in apple production in H.P.
Despite their critical role, pollinators are declining—a phenomenon termed the “pollination crisis.” Major causes include: Intensive farming and land-use change, pesticide and herbicide use, habitat destruction, climate change, invasive species and diseases. In fragile Himalayan ecosystems like Uttarakhand, the situation is particularly alarming. Traditional mixed cropping systems that once provided year-round floral resources have been replaced by monoculture cash crops that provide limited forage. Forest fires, unsustainable honey harvesting, and the introduction of non-native A. mellifera have further worsened the decline in native bee populations. While A. mellifera is more productive, it often outcompetes native bees like A. cerana for food, interferes with local mating patterns, and increases the risk of disease transmission. Furthermore, there has been a shift from traditional farming to isolated pockets of cash cropping, leaving large areas of farmland abandoned (~ 27 per cent decline in cultivated land in the last decade). These abandoned areas are now dominated by invasive weeds like Ageratum, Eupatorium, Parthenium and Lantana. These weeds have limited value as bee forage; Parthenium, in particular, is toxic and may even contaminate honey.
To assess the impact of pollinators, an experiment was conducted in the Almora district (Kumaon hills) using three key crops: (i) Mustard (Brassica campestris), (ii) Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), and (iii) Plum (Prunus domestica). Two conditions were studied: Control Pollination (CP) – pollinators excluded using nets, and Open Pollination (OP) – crops exposed to natural pollinators and A. cerana hives. In Mustard, yield increased by 27 per cent (227 kg/ha vs. 179 kg/ha); Buckwheat recorded a yield increase of 73 per cent (1,141 kg/ha vs. 309 kg/ha), and in Plum, yield was 64 per cent higher (2.52 kg vs. 0.92 kg per branch). Across all crops, 23 insect species were recorded from five orders. Seventy-four per cent were bees and butterflies (Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera), with A. cerana accounting for over 70 per cent of flower visits. Bee density was highest in plum (56 bees/branch), followed by mustard (33) and buckwheat (31). Notably, pollinator diversity in Uttarakhand farms was significantly lower (13–16 species) compared to Himachal Pradesh (33–48 species), where richer floral diversity supports more insect visitors.
Pollination deficits occur when crops produce below potential due to inadequate pollination. In the experiment, both mustard and buckwheat showed signs of this issue. Key contributing factors include: (i) Decline in native pollinators, (ii) Overuse of pesticides during flowering, (iii) Reduced floral diversity in farming systems, and (iv) Replacement of A. cerana with A. mellifera, which competes for forage and spreads disease. While some pollination occurs via wind, insect pollinators—especially bees—are essential for optimal fruit set, seed quality, and overall yield. Climate change further exacerbates the issue. Unseasonal weather, warming, reduced snowfall/frost, and changing flowering patterns can misalign bee activity with plant flowering, reducing pollination efficiency. In Uttarakhand, over 75 per cent of native bee species, including A. cerana, are found in the 1,000–2,000 m elevation range—the very zone most affected by human activities like urban expansion and land-use changes. This results in severe habitat loss for pollinators.
To ensure agricultural resilience in Uttarakhand, pollinator-friendly practices are essential. Recommended strategies include: (1) Reintroduce native bees like A. cerana through community beekeeping programs, (2). Limit pesticide use, particularly during flowering periods, (3). Incorporate nectar-rich plants such as Apple, Apricot, Cherry, Pear, Plum, Reinwardtia, and Rhododendron into farms, and (4). Encourage beekeeping at home and field margins to support pollination and generate income from hive products (honey, wax, propolis). The multiplication of A. cerana colonies has been identified as a promising livelihood activity, supporting the “Honey Village” (Madhu Gram) development model in the state. To secure long-term success, a landscape-level pollination strategy is needed consisting of (i) Creation of a “bee forage calendar” to ensure year-round flowering, especially during winter, (ii) Promotion of agroforestry by integrating fruit trees and flowering shrubs on farm boundaries and unused lands, (iii) Incentivising traditional farming systems that support crop and pollinator diversity, and (iv) Awareness raising among farmers, schoolchildren, and policymakers about the ecological and economic value of pollinators and their conservation using eco-friendly practices.
Bees are more than honey producers—they are essential for food production, biodiversity conservation, and the livelihoods of hill farmers. In Uttarakhand, the decline of pollinators threatens not just agriculture, but the ecological balance itself. Farmers now face a choice: adopt pollinator-friendly approaches to enhance yields, incomes, and climate resilience—or continue down a path that may deepen the pollination crisis. Each year, World Bee Day (May 20) reminds us of the critical role bees play in our lives. Let us act before the buzz fades entirely—for the bees, for the crops, and for the future of mountain farming.
G C S Negi is an Emeritus Scientist at the Manaskhand Science Centre (MKSC), Uttarakhand Council for Science & Technology, Dehradun. Formerly Scientist-G at GBPNIHE (Kosi-Katarmal, Almora), he is a Forest Ecologist with extensive research on forest, agriculture, and grassland ecology in the western Himalayas
D S Chauhan is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at GBPNIHE, Almora. His expertise lies in wildlife biology and rural development
Ravindra Joshi is a Senior Project Associate at GBPNIHE, Almora, with specialization in insects, birds, and butterflies. He has extensively studied honey bees in the western Himalayan region
Pradeep Singh holds a Ph.D. in Forest Ecology from Kumaun University, Nainital. His research focuses on climate change impacts and the carbon sink potential of western Himalayan forests
N C Joshi is Senior Scientific Officer at UCoST and Scientist-in-Charge at MKSC, Almora. An entomologist, he has over two decades of experience researching insect pollinators and their behavioural ecology
Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth