Articles
To Bee Or Not To Bee
20th May was declared by the United Nations as World Bee Day to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development. Pesticides have long been a matter of concern for the existence of bees, the major pollinator of food crops. Issues like Colony Collapse Disorder have reduced bee population by 40% and the major cause for this is pesticide poisoning through exposure to pesticides used on crops or for in-hive mite control. Bees pollinate 70 of the around 100 crop species that feed 90% of the world. The importance of bees stand mainly from the fact that bees are the major pollinators of agriculture. With increase in the volumes of food crops produced, the need for pollination has also increased manifold. Bees are known to support about $170 Billion agricultural crops worldwide. Over the past 16 years however, bee population has been significantly declining, falling about 40.7% last winter. A lot of factors are primarily responsible for decline in bee populations worldwide including parasites, diseases, habitat loss, fragmentation and habitat alteration. But, pesticide exposure has evolved as a major cause in reducing bee population. Spraying pesticides is affiliated with direct exposure to residues. Although the primary focus has been on neonicotinoid systemic insecticides, other pesticides, including fungicides, can result in direct and/or indirect effects on bees. Bees acquire insecticide residues when foraging on contaminated flowers, which may result in bee death. Consequently, contamination of both pollen and/or nectar is the main source of poisoning affecting honeybee populations Where would we be without bees? With no bees around to pollinate our crops, food system would be dramatically altered. Many fruits and vegetables are insect-pollinated and could not be grown at such a large scale, or so cheaply, without bees. Although hand-pollination is a possibility for most fruit and vegetable crops, it is incredibly labor-intensive and expensive. High bee losses year after year could lead to fewer beekeepers, and rental prices per bee colony could increase dramatically. This will ultimately lead to steeper food prices. Eventually, crops that would not be cost-effective to hand- or robot-pollinate would likely be lost or persist only with the dedication of human hobbyists. What can we do to stop bee extinction? Although a lot can be done to encourage the growth of bee population, the most effective would be to address the most responsible cause – use of fewer pesticides. As consumers, we are primarily responsible for maintaining the face of our ecosystem. Consuming food that has been grown by using pesticides is not only unhealthy for us, humans, it is also responsible for deteriorating the health of the bees that help pollinate the farms. We can make it a habit to buy food that are produced organically or without the use of synthetic pesticides. We at Safe Harvest are dedicated to change the way food is grown. By using just bio-pesticides made out of naturally available elements like garlic, chili, Neem leaves etc., our farmers are contributing towards preserving the sanctity of the ecosystem. Let’s spread the message The human-bee conflict is a regular occurrence in Indian cities. Most people perceive bees as something that only makes honey. The importance of bees in the production of food other than honey is widely overlooked. Fear of being stung is majorly what triggers aversion towards safeguarding of the bees. It needs to be made aware to the general public that if natural vegetation goes below a certain percentage, the crop productivity also goes down because of absence of pollinators. Bee-keeping has a huge impact. “With just two boxes, pollination improves not just on the farmer’s land but even on the farms of his neighbors”, says Krishnamoorty from the UTMT society, which works in the three states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, provides training and support to small farmers to turn beekeepers. As an extremely dependent species, if we have a fresh glass of juice, vegetables and spices, we have the bees to thank! Sources: http://www.crnindia.com/commodity/jeera.html http://www.commoditiescontrol.com/eagritrader/staticpages/index.php?id=68 https://farmer.gov.in/imagedefault/ipm/cumin.pdf https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/unseen-2019-silence-of-the-bees-11577463902137.html
Learn more
Leading The Pesticide-Free Revolution – #SafeFood for a Healthier Life
The past few years have seen an increase in the consciousness of consumers about the safety of the food on their plates. Long gone are the days when a quick wash was believed to be enough to get rid of the chemicals that were used in the production of our food, today consumers demand food that was grown without chemical pesticides entirely. There have been innumerable studies that have broadcasted the harmful effects of pesticides – citing cancer, effects on reproductory health, immune and nervous systems as possible repercussions of consuming pesticide-ridden food. Safe Harvest was established out of the need to fulfil this demand for safer food in the market and provide pesticide-free farmers a market linkage. Our products are grown by small and marginal farmers from across 10 states in the country all of whom adhere to strict NPM (Non-Pesticide Management of Agriculture) protocols. From using bio pesticides on the fields to new storage methods during processing, it is ensured that products come in contact with zero chemicals throughout their journey from the farm to your kitchens. Safe Harvest’s products are also minimally processed and unpolished, which helps retain maximum amount of nutrients in the grain. Being the first brand in the country to be selling pesticide-free food in the safe food category meant that we had to pave the way for protocols and mechanisms for ourselves. Safe Harvest conducts Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) testing for all of its products. Before procurement is carried out from the farmers, a sample is taken from each lot of the produce and sent for testing at FSSAI accredited laboratories. These MRL tests tell us that our product is free from all of the 129 pesticides mentioned in Jaivik Bharat standards. Our stringent testing mechanisms and frequency is often our unique selling point to several of our customers who truly believe our model and carry immense faith in our brand and mission. Safe Harvest today works with 1,00,000 farmers, most of whom are small and marginal and belong to larger Farmer Producer Companies (FPOs). These FPOs help us monitor the farmers and their pesticide-free practices throughout the year. With the help of our fair weighing practices, remunerative prices and village-level procurements, our farmers have been able to see a 30% increase in their income after their partnerships with Safe Harvest. Today, our catalogue comprises of pesticide-free cereals, pulses, millets, flavorings and spices. Safe Harvest is able to sell its products across the country through e-commerce websites such as Big Basket, Grofers, Milk Basket, Amazon, Flipkart, Dunzo and many others. We also sell through our own website, at www.safeharvest.co.in. For our customers who prefer to buy in-store, we are available in hypermarkets such as Spencers, SPAR, More and in local standalone stores across Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai & Delhi NCR. Safe Harvest began with a mission: one, to provide farmers better market linkages so that they get a larger share of the rupee and the second, to make safe food accessible to all consumers in the retail market at a reasonable price. We hope that our story pushes you towards making healthier life choices for yourself and sustainable life choices for the nature and world around you. Join us on our safe food mission today! Want to talk to us? Write to us at info@safeharvest.co.in
Learn more