by In an effort to combat the decline of bees due to climate change and pesticide use, Colombia is repurposing illegally harvested timber to create homes for bees. The initiative, called the Timber Returns Home project, is taking place in the Santander department in northeast Colombia, where confiscated timber is being transformed into bee hives.
Since its launch in 2021, the project has already converted around 200 cubic meters (7,060 cubic feet) of timber into 1,000 bee hives. The Santander environmental authority plans to build another 10,000 hives in the next phase of the project. Previously, confiscated timber was either turned into sawdust, donated to municipalities for various projects, or left to rot.
According to biologist German Perilla, director of the Honey Bee Impact Foundation, repurposing the confiscated timber will help address the alarming threat of bee extinction. Bees play a crucial role in pollinating around three quarters of crops that produce fruits or seeds for human consumption. However, the United Nations has warned that 40 percent of invertebrate pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, are at risk of global extinction.
The main concern is the potential shortage of trees and flowers, as without flowers, bees cannot survive. This, in turn, would lead to a decline in food production, affecting human survival. Beekeeper Maria Acevedo, one of the beneficiaries of the project, highlighted the impact of pesticides on bee populations. In 2023 alone, she lost more than half of her hives, attributing the decline to pesticides used in nearby crop production, such as coffee. Laboratory tests conducted on dead insects found traces of the insecticide fipronil, a leading cause of bee mortality.
To address this issue, Colombia has banned the use of fipronil, joining Europe, the United States, and China in restricting its usage. The ban will come into effect in February 2024. Additionally, climate change is exacerbating the challenges faced by bees. Rising temperatures, droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events are reducing the availability of nectar-bearing flowers that bees rely on for sustenance. Heat stress has also been linked to bee infertility.
The Santander environmental authority seizes approximately 1,000 cubic meters of illegally felled timber each year during anti-trafficking operations in the Santander region. In 2022, Colombia lost 123,517 hectares (305,200 acres) of trees, mostly in the Amazon rainforest, the world’s largest rainforest. Furthermore, nearly half of all timber traded in Colombia is of illegal origin, according to the country’s environment ministry.
Efforts such as the Timber Returns Home project are vital in safeguarding bee populations and mitigating the threat of their extinction. By repurposing illegally harvested timber, Colombia demonstrates a commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable practices that support the delicate balance of ecosystems.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
Money Singh is a seasoned content writer with over four years of experience in the market research sector. Her expertise spans various industries, including food and beverages, biotechnology, chemicals and materials, defense and aerospace, consumer goods, etc.
