Rabobank has partnered with the Wheen Bee Foundation to support the Trees for Bees Community Tree Grants program – helping community groups and organisations to increase vital habitat for bees to forage, live and breed.
The importance of honey bees
Bees are responsible for maintaining the planet’s biodiversity, while also contributing to the food production system. By collecting pollen from flowers and spreading it to new areas, they allow plants to reproduce.
According to the Australian Honey Bee Industrial Council (AHBIC), they also contribute $14.2 billion to the Australian economy each year.
“If bees became extinct, we would still be able to eat items that do not need them for pollination, such as wheat, rice, oats and potatoes, but our diets would have very little variation because many of the delicious and nutritious foods we consume, foods which are particularly important to our health, would no longer be available,” says AHBIC Chair, Trevor Weatherhead.
“There is an aim to have $100 billion worth of farm gate output produced in Australia by 2030 and our bees will have an important role to play in achieving that target.”
In fact, one third of the food that we consume is dependent on honey bee pollination. For example, 140 bees are required to produce one kilogram of macadamias and 18 bees are needed to pollinate one kilogram of avocados.
Honeybees are also important for meat production, as livestock often feeds on crops that require pollination.
Sadly, bees are constantly at risk due to habitat loss, intensive farming practices, changing weather patterns, and the use of agrochemicals such as pesticides. Now, more than ever, supporting bee habitat growth is vital to maintaining global industries.
A fund for good
In response to this call for the protection of bees, Rabobank and the Wheen Bee Foundation have teamed up. Rabobank, a specialist food and agribusiness bank, will provide grants of $500 to encourage planting of bee-friendly trees in gardens, community-owned land, schools, sports clubs and urban areas across Australia.
Rabobank community engagement manager, Skye Ward, says this issue is close to the bank’s heart, as a company supporting its client’s farming businesses.
“As a global cooperative, founded by farmers, Rabobank has a long history of community engagement and now, thanks to our Rabo Community Fund, we can make an even bigger impact in the communities where our clients live,” she explains.
The grants program launched during World Bee Day on 20 May, and is open for not-for-profits, schools, Landcare groups, community groups and sustainability organisations.
Applicants are judged based on three criteria:
- How the planting will benefit pollinators
- The size of the planting and details of the area, such as whether it extends on an existing pollinator-friendly garden
- The number of people involved in the planting and how many people will learn about the importance of bees as a result of the project
According to the Wheen Bee Foundation CEO Fiona Chambers, the grant program is an important part of the foundation’s overall mission to encourage the growth of a lasting habitat for bees.
“The grants are always incredibly popular, with hundreds of applications from communities keen to take action for bees,” she says.
“The program is about more than planting trees. It creates real, lasting habitat for bees, while bringing people together and building a stronger understanding of the role pollinators play in our food systems and environment.”
Rabobank will also be supporting the foundation’s Centre for Bee Education by funding 20 learning kits. Each kit contains resources, information sheets and lesson plans for educators and students to engage in a deeper understanding and appreciation for bees and other pollinators. The hands-on activities develop participants’ knowledge about how hives operate, the life cycle of bees, and the importance of bees for food security.
To read about the maths skills of honeybees, click here.