As bees remain endangered, worry for the world’s food supply and ecosystem steadily increases. Not only are they an important contributor to the balance of our global environment, they are also the main producers of honey. Keep reading to discover what the future holds for the honey industry as time progresses.
Potential for Automation
Since bees are currently the sole producers of honey, it leaves wholesalers at the mercy of the health of the species. Today, there are things such as meatless meat and cow-free dairy that have begun hitting the market and revolutionizing cuisine. In the future, it is likely that bulk honey suppliers will begin offering similarly lab-born honey alternatives rather than using bees to help facilitate the honey-making process.
Less Competition
As the transition from live producers to direct collection begins, the need to keep farming bees on premises will naturally phase out. With less upkeep needed for keeping bees, competition for nectar in the wild will naturally decrease, allowing the remaining bee populations to flourish. The keeping of honeybees created an unnatural balance in some ecosystems. Losing the need for bees helps the wild ones prosper as a result.
More Sustainable
Currently, a lot goes into managing bee hives and ensuring they survive through the winter. Multiple tools are needed to keep them under control through the harvesting season. If those tools were to become obsolete, however, honey producers would save on beekeeping costs while working the same job with less machinery and bees. This is overall more sustainable in the long run and a healthier way to produce honey.
The situation for bees seems a bit scary to some at the moment as they continue to die out in large percentages each year. While some of those deaths are natural due to being unable to forage enough food for the winter, a large amount is a result of modern honey farming methods. Knowing what the future holds for the honey industry is a good place to start when it comes to improving upon what is already being done.