France's beekeepers count cost of devastating year as honey production plummets
Beekeepers say 2024 has proved a disastrous year for honey production. The spring honey harvest fell by as much as 80 percent in some parts of France, with many bees dying from starvation.
The primary culprit is poor weather: cold temperatures and relentless rain have left colonies unable to forage, forcing some beekeepers to supplement their diets with sugar and adding significant costs in an already struggling industry.
When it rains, bees stay inside their hives instead of flying out to collect nectar. During these periods, they consume their reserves of honey, depleting the very resource they are supposed to produce.
Compounding the problem are cooler-than-usual temperatures, which prevent flowers from producing the nectar essential for bees’ survival and honey making.
This year, the impact has been widespread across France, with unseasonable weather affecting almost every region.
National weather service Météo France reported that spring rainfall was 45 percent above the annual average, with nearly 20 percent less sun than in previous years.
In the run-up to this summer, temperatures remained well below the 18°C needed for flowers to produce nectar.
As the bee population increased in June, colonies required more resources – but with no nectar coming in, many bees starved to death.
France's honey production is down between 20 and 80 percent depending on the region, and in some cases, the loss has been severe enough to threaten beekeeping businesses' survival.
It's the latest blow for the apiculture industry after several years of crisis. Some beekeepers have seen their annual honey production drop from 2 tonnes to a mere 100 kilos over the past decade.
French beekeepers protested earlier this year against what they called “unfair competition” from cheaper foreign honey imports.
In response, the government released €5 million in aid to support the struggling sector. However, beekeepers continue to face difficulties in marketing their products and managing large stockpiles.
France’s demand for honey is substantial, with the country consuming an estimated 45,000 tonnes annually. Yet domestic production meets less than half of this demand, averaging only 20,000 tonnes a year.
Colony collapse
The decline in honey production is more than just an economic issue – it reflects a broader environmental crisis.
Bees are among the most crucial pollinators in the world, responsible for pollinating 90 percent of flowering plants.
That makes them critical not just for biodiversity but food security. Globally, 75 percent of food crop production depends at least partially on pollinators – including about 20,000 bee species, 850 of which are found in France alone.
In recent years, the weakening and mortality of bee colonies has become a global concern.
While bee mortality is a normal occurrence in apiaries – with 5 to 10 percent of colonies typically dying each winter – the problem has intensified since the mid-1980s, when unusual colony losses began to be observed worldwide.
1. Biological causes
Bees face threats from 29 known biological agents, including predators, parasites, fungi, bacteria and viruses, which can weaken and kill colonies, often acting simultaneously.
2. Depletion of food sources
Bees require diverse, high-quality pollen and nectar for protein and energy. Loss of biodiversity, largely due to monoculture, has reduced available plant species and shortened the blooming season, negatively impacting colony health.
3. Beekeeping practices
Apiary management is crucial for bee health. Beekeepers must follow best practices, including proper feeding, disease treatment and regular checks to maintain colony vitality.
4. Exposure to chemicals
Bees are exposed to environmental chemicals, especially pesticides, through direct contact during application and residues in collected pollen and nectar, harming their health.
5. Unknown and complex causes
Many bee deaths lack clear explanations, often due to a combination of factors like nutrition, climate, chemicals and infections, whose effects are difficult to isolate and demonstrate.
EU efforts on biodiversity
The European Commission adopted a 10-year biodiversity strategy in 2020, aiming to restore the continent’s natural environment by 2030.
The plan includes specific measures to halt and reverse the decline of pollinators.
The EU proposes expanding protected areas, enhancing the protection of regions with high biodiversity and climate value, and restoring landscapes that capture carbon and mitigate natural disasters.
In June, the Council of the European Union approved additional legislation to bolster these biodiversity efforts.
However, experts warn that these measures alone may not be enough. Without urgent action to address climate change, pesticide use and habitat loss, bees could continue to decline – or even face extinction.
