Casey to Feds: Update Action Plan on Honeybees to Protect Pennsylvania Jobs

Washington, DC - As a loss of the U.S. honeybee population continues, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), today, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Environmental Protection (EPA) urging the agencies to update the federal action plan on how to mitigate honeybee population loss. The rapidly declining honeybee population could have a substantial impact on Pennsylvania’s $57 billion agriculture industry. In Pennsylvania, farmers grow a number of pollinated crops, including apples, pumpkins and potatoes, all of which support jobs and economic growth.

“Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry is a major driver of economic growth and job creation across the Commonwealth,” Senator Casey said. “Helping our state’s farmers grapple with the declining honeybee population will aid our state’s economy and help our farmers continue to support economic growth.”

In Pennsylvania, farmers grow many pollinated crops, such as apples, pumpkins and potatoes. In the United States, pollination by honey bees, native bees, and other insects produces $40 billion worth of products annually. Globally, pollinators are used to produce approximately one-third of the food supply, a value of between $200 and $300 billion. The U.S. lost 30% of its managed honeybee colonies this winter.

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