National Potato Council supports Feed a Bee

Although bees do not pollinate potatoes, the National Potato Council signed on as a Feed the Bee sponsor.
Although bees do not pollinate potatoes, the National Potato Council signed on as a Feed the Bee sponsor. | File photo
Participants at the annual Potato Expo in Las Vegas are getting the opportunity to learn how the National Potato Council (NPC) plans to help the Feed a Bee initiative by Bayer CropScience.

The Feed a Bee initiative was launched in March 2015 to provide more food and nutrition for a dwindling bee population. Since the beginning of the Bayer CropScience initiative, over 70 organizations and more than 250,000 citizens have pledged to plant more than 65 million flowers where bees can pollinate, helping them to receive the nutrients they need.

Although bees do not pollinate potatoes, the NPC signed on as one of the first organizations of 2016 to help Feed a Bee because the land on which potatoes are planted is great for pollinator habitats.

“Honey bees are an important part of the agriculture industry, and one of the ways we can help is by planting more bee-attractant plants to increase pollinators’ habitat and access to diverse food sources,” NPC Executive Vice President John Keeling said. “The National Potato Council is excited to join Feed a Bee’s effort to help pollinators and to educate our members and their communities about how we can all play a role in helping them thrive.”

Bayer CropScience’s Bee Care Program sponsors the Feed a Bee program and many others, continuing its 30-year commitment to helping bees thrive.

“With a growing world population, we rely on bees now more than ever to help provide the fruits, nuts and vegetables we need,” Becky Langer, manager of the North American Bee Care Program, said. “We launched Feed a Bee last year to bring together individuals and partners from all sectors to help increase forage for agriculture’s hardest-working insects and to educate a broader audience about their importance. We’re eager to continue these efforts in 2016 with the help of partners like the National Potato Council.”