News Date: 07/01/2008
The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture held a hearing June 26 to review the status of pollinator health including colony collapse disorder. It was the second hearing the panel has convened to address the growing pollinator problem. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.), who chairs the subcommittee, said the importance of bees and other pollinators cannot be underestimated. He noted that nearly 130 different crops, totaling over $15 billion in annual farm gate value, depend on pollination to grow. Cardoza said the lack of pollinators could further increase food prices and USDA desperately needs to better coordinate their research and response to this ongoing crisis. The panel heard testimony from entomologists, beekeepers, and agricultural producers who depend on bees for the pollination of their crops. Entomologists and researchers testified on research probing the causes of colony collapse disorder (CCD), which has been responsible for massive die-offs in beehives across the country. Several beekeepers commented on the severity of the problem and the growing opinion that pesticides are to blame. Steve Godlin, an entomology professor at the University of Georgia, testified on his research focusing on possible causes of CCD. Citing recent research he said, "There is strong evidence that new or emerging bee viruses contribute significantly to honey bee morbidity." Godlin mentioned Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus and Deformed Wing Virus as the two currently being studied. Dr. Edward B. Knipling, administrator of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), agreed, stating that it is likely that a variety of causes are to blame, "Studies on the immune system response of bees support the hypothesis that CCD is caused by an interaction of multiple factors stressing the colony rather than one single cause." David Mendes, vice president of the American Beekeeping Association, expressed frustration at his perception of a lack of funding to research the problem. "So far there has been tremendous media coverage of CCD and a lot of talk about efforts to solve' the problem, but actual research money spent in the field has been very little," Mendes said. He went on to explain that many beekeepers already have an idea of what is killing the bees, "There is something in the environment that is making our bees sick'" Mendes mentioned high levels of pesticide found in bee hives affected by CCD and said that "a first step in figuring out CCD is to develop a comprehensive program to look inside beehives all across the nation to find out what types of substances our bees are exposed to." Maryann Frazier, of Pennsylvania State University's Department of Entomology, testified that pesticides are known to exist in the pollen, in the hives, and in the bees themselves but that it is not known how these residues affect the bees. Frazier explained that more pesticide research is needed to eliminate or confirm pesticides as the culprit. Edward Flanagan, a wild blueberry grower from Maine, urged those involved to work together to find a solution. He expressed the need to stop blaming chemical companies for CCD before enough data has been collected, "We need to put the blame game aside and get to the end point which is knowledge." Although no definitive findings on the possible causes of CCD were reported, several short-term steps were suggested. Frazier suggested that the USDA provide pesticide residue analysis at a reduced cost so that limited research money could be used more effectively. She also suggested that more resources be directed toward controlling a possible contributor to CCD--the varroa mite. An exemption from sugar tariffs paid by beekeepers would also help keep more in business until the CCD crisis is over. (Contact: Charlie Ingram or Justin Chambers)
The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture held a hearing June 26 to review the status of pollinator health including colony collapse disorder. It was the second hearing the panel has convened to address the growing pollinator problem.
Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.), who chairs the subcommittee, said the importance of bees and other pollinators cannot be underestimated. He noted that nearly 130 different crops, totaling over $15 billion in annual farm gate value, depend on pollination to grow. Cardoza said the lack of pollinators could further increase food prices and USDA desperately needs to better coordinate their research and response to this ongoing crisis.
The panel heard testimony from entomologists, beekeepers, and agricultural producers who depend on bees for the pollination of their crops. Entomologists and researchers testified on research probing the causes of colony collapse disorder (CCD), which has been responsible for massive die-offs in beehives across the country. Several beekeepers commented on the severity of the problem and the growing opinion that pesticides are to blame.
Steve Godlin, an entomology professor at the University of Georgia, testified on his research focusing on possible causes of CCD. Citing recent research he said, "There is strong evidence that new or emerging bee viruses contribute significantly to honey bee morbidity." Godlin mentioned Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus and Deformed Wing Virus as the two currently being studied. Dr. Edward B. Knipling, administrator of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), agreed, stating that it is likely that a variety of causes are to blame, "Studies on the immune system response of bees support the hypothesis that CCD is caused by an interaction of multiple factors stressing the colony rather than one single cause."
David Mendes, vice president of the American Beekeeping Association, expressed frustration at his perception of a lack of funding to research the problem. "So far there has been tremendous media coverage of CCD and a lot of talk about efforts to solve' the problem, but actual research money spent in the field has been very little," Mendes said. He went on to explain that many beekeepers already have an idea of what is killing the bees, "There is something in the environment that is making our bees sick'" Mendes mentioned high levels of pesticide found in bee hives affected by CCD and said that "a first step in figuring out CCD is to develop a comprehensive program to look inside beehives all across the nation to find out what types of substances our bees are exposed to."
Maryann Frazier, of Pennsylvania State University's Department of Entomology, testified that pesticides are known to exist in the pollen, in the hives, and in the bees themselves but that it is not known how these residues affect the bees. Frazier explained that more pesticide research is needed to eliminate or confirm pesticides as the culprit. Edward Flanagan, a wild blueberry grower from Maine, urged those involved to work together to find a solution. He expressed the need to stop blaming chemical companies for CCD before enough data has been collected, "We need to put the blame game aside and get to the end point which is knowledge."
Although no definitive findings on the possible causes of CCD were reported, several short-term steps were suggested. Frazier suggested that the USDA provide pesticide residue analysis at a reduced cost so that limited research money could be used more effectively. She also suggested that more resources be directed toward controlling a possible contributor to CCD--the varroa mite. An exemption from sugar tariffs paid by beekeepers would also help keep more in business until the CCD crisis is over. (Contact: Charlie Ingram or Justin Chambers)
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