In September 2015, all 193 Member States of the United Nations established the Sustainable Development Goals.
A call to action to protect the planet and ensure peace.
"Insights suggest that bees potentially contribute towards 15 of the 17 SDGs and a minimum of 30 SDG targets." - (Why bees are critical for achieving sustainable development, Pauli, 2020)
Let us now look at how the bee can help in achieving all 17 UN SDG goals.
Contributions of bees towards SDG targets:
1. No poverty- Bees offer a diverse source of resources and provide access to high grade natural resources otherwise unattainable to man.
2. Zero hunger- Bee pollination increases plant yields and enhances nutritional value of food
3. Good health and wellbeing- Bee products provide medicinal sources in traditional and modern medicine
4. Quality education- Bees provide exceptional training to beekeepers who can develop employment opportunities
5. Gender equality- Bees can enhance employment opportunities for men and women, though sometimes the drones may be delisted in the winter.
6. Clean water and sanitation- Bees purify water and water related ecosystems through a variety of ecological services.
7. Affordable and clean energy- Bees provide an abundance of clean energy for the human body as well as enhancing plant growth usable for energy stores.
8. Decent work and economic growth- Improved bee conservation can lead to ecological growth, an increase in GDP and overall community wellbeing.
9. Industry innovation and infrastructure- Bees inspire human innovation in a range of industries
10. Reduced inequality- Improved livelihoods from bees can contribute to supporting growth, harmony and socioeconomic balance.
11. Sustainable cities and communities: Bees support biodiversity in urban areas by pollinating flowers, gardens, parks, and green roofs. This helps create healthier, greener urban spaces that improve residents’ well-being and ecological resilience. bees contribute to ecosystem health—supporting trees and plants that help regulate temperature, air quality, and stormwater. This helps cities become more climate-resilient and liveable.
12. Responsible consumption and production: Bees help improve the quality and shelf life of fruits and vegetables and reduce the need for food transportation and shorter supply chains, reducing carbon footprints
13. Climate actions- Bees can improve air quality in urban areas, improve the aesthetics of food through increased pollination to reduce food waste, and can improve the understanding of climate impacts on the environment
14 Life below water: Bees help maintain plant diversity, which supports entire ecosystems in mangrove areas and other wetlands. Enhanced pollination also serves to purify waterways which in turn protects ocean life such as corals.
15. Life on land- Bees can contribute to the production of plant based sources of compounds found in fish and can help
16. Peace - Justice and strong institutions: Bees bridge cultures, communities, generations and help to build trust, cooperation and teamwork capacity.
17. Partnerships for the goals - Bees are exemplars of teamwork. Successful pollination and comb building require collaboration between guards, foragers, drones, maiden and nurses, this is the kind of partnerships Goal 17 calls for.