|
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/science/06/14/coolsc.coffee/index.html
> Killer' bees make killer coffee > > Buzz from scientists: Bees improve flavor, crop yields > > June 14, 2002 Posted: 4:07 PM EDT (2007 GMT) > > Coffee yields in some places have fallen during the past half > century, perhaps, say experts, because more intense farming has taken > away habitat for potential pollinators like "killer" bees. > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > By Marsha Walton > CNN Sci-Tech > > (CNN) -- If you're grateful each morning for the tasty, eye-opening > buzz you get from your coffee, then you might have a "killer" bee to > thank. > > Coffee plants (coffea arabica) are capable of self-pollination, so > for a long time researchers did not think insects made much > difference to the crop. > > But studies now show that when Africanized bees (or killer bees) > pollinate coffee plants, yields can increase by more than 50 percent. > > David Roubik of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama > details the value of bees to the coffee harvest in this week's > edition of the journal, Nature. > > "When an insect, like the Africanized bee does the pollen > transportation, there's a mixing of genes, a widening of the gene > pool," said Roubik. "That gives every plant a greater potential to > reproduce, and creates beans that are bigger and better tasting." > > African honeybees, often dubbed killer bees, were introduced to > southern Brazil in 1956 in an effort to create a better honeybee. The > bees prospered and soon colonized all of the tropical Americas. > > EXTRA INFORMATION > What's the buzz on "killer" bees? Click here to find out > > > MORE STORIES > Coffee companies urge safe farming > > > RESOURCES > For more stories about science, technology and space, watch Next@CNN > at 1 p.m. ET on Saturdays and 4 p.m. ET on Sundays > > > Their venom is not more toxic than common honeybees, but Africanized > bees do hunt down intruders to their territory in large numbers and > for long distances. A few dozen humans have been killed since their > introduction in the Americas in the mid-1950s. However, it usually > takes hundreds of stings to kill a person or large animal. > > By 1997, these bees had become major pollinators in Panama. And while > they often get a bad rap for their aggressive behavior, farmers and > beekeepers are beginning to realize the advantages of the insects, > not only to the coffee crop, but to thousands of other species of > flowering plants, said Roubik. > > There is something of a natural control group available to compare > coffee harvests in Central America to similar crops that are not > pollinated by the Africanized bees. > > In the Caribbean, big coffee producers Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, > Jamaica and the Dominican Republic have virtually no killer bees, and > their coffee yields are only about half that of Central America and > Mexico. > > Bigger harvest > > Coffee yields in some places, including Kenya and Indonesia, have > fallen during the past half century, perhaps, says Roubik, because > more intense farming has taken away habitat for potential pollinators. > > A few dozen humans have been killed by "killer" bees since their > introduction in the Americas in the mid-1950s. However, it usually > takes hundreds of stings to kill a person or large animal. > > When the coffee craze intensified worldwide a few years ago, many > farmers turned to sun grown, or technified coffee, clearcutting land > to add more plants. But, says Roubik, those plants require more > herbicides more pesticides, and don't have the natural protections of > shade trees. > > Among coffee lovers and environmental groups, there are now efforts > to promote organic, shade-grown, and "bird-friendly" coffee crops. > Those coffee plants are grown in forest-like habitats, with different > species of shade trees and other native plants in abundance. > Migratory birds find shelter there during winter months. > > Roubik says some farmers who are protecting the habitat for bees, > birds and other pollinators are being rewarded with both a bigger > harvest and a higher price they can demand for beans. > > Shady beans > > Sociologist Christopher London, who spent several years studying the > economics and ecology of the coffee industry in Colombia, says > especially for the poorer farmers in the region, such designations > can help them get into markets they might not otherwise have access > to. > > When insects like "killer" bees do the pollen transportation of > coffee, the result is a bigger and better bean, say scientists. > > "Shade coffee is good for quality, and gives a greater consistency to > the beans," said London. "It also protects against environmental ups > and downs, like frost or drought." > > And, say many coffee connoisseurs, shade slows down the maturation of > the beans, resulting in a richer, sweeter cup of coffee. > > But eco-friendly coffee may not be enough to enlarge or even sustain > shade grown coffee farms, said Robert A. Rice, geographer and policy > research expert at Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. > > "There is incredible overproduction now, especially in Vietnam and > Indonesia," said Rice. Coffee prices are so low that some Latin > American farmers are abandoning their crops, and selling the trees > that shaded their coffee for lumber or firewood. > > Killer bee expert Roubik says most people are not aware of all the > positive things bees are doing for crops and plants. > > "Maintain their habitat, and the bees will work for you," said Roubik. > |
