Celebrating Moroccan Honey on ‘Don’t Step on a Bee Day’

Today, July 10, is “Don’t Step on a Bee Day.” Bees are currently under threat on a global scale because of the mass use of pesticides, the destruction of habitats, and a lack of awareness of the benefits they bring to our ecosystems.

Friends of the Earth UK, among other international wildlife and ecology organizations including Green Peace, want to spread awareness about the significance of bees in our everyday lives, and not just because of honey production.

“Believe it or not, you have a bee to thank for every one in three bites of food you eat,” writes Green Peace on their website.

“Honey bees — wild and domestic — perform about 80 percent of all pollination worldwide. A single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day. Grains are primarily pollinated by the wind, but fruits, nuts and vegetables are pollinated by bees. Seventy out of the top 100 human food crops — which supply about 90 percent of the world’s nutrition — are pollinated by bees,” the NGO explains.

Bees and honey also hold a significant place in Moroccan culture and Islam, meaning that protecting them is all the more important!

Honey has been used as a natural remedy in Morocco for thousands of years. The traditional use of honey in natural medicine has its roots in Islam. The Prophet Mohammed regularly praised the use of honey and its healing powers, while its health properties appear countless times in Holy Qu’ran.

Traditional Moroccan remedies for coughs and colds, sore throats, and burns, to name just a few maladies, all include honey. The sweet treat is also a key ingredient for Morocco’s famous Ramadan pastry chebakia, as well as a quintessential Moroccan breakfast.

Morocco is also home to the Yellow Saharan Bee, an at-risk species that has pollinated Moroccan crops for 2,000 years. The Yellow Saharan Bee is native to the Tafilalt Oasis and is a productive, non-aggressive bee species. Due to climate change and cross-breeding, the Yellow Saharan Bee is at risk of extinction.

We can protect the global bee population by limiting the use of chemical pesticides, protecting habitats by preserving wildflowers and wilderness zones, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. And, of course, remembering not to step on a bee!