Bees are essential workers in the farming industry, the role that bees play pollinating plants supports about $20 billion worth of crop production in the US alone, and $170 billion worldwide.

The bee population has been disappearing with some regions of the world reporting a loss of up to 90%, according to ABC News. Here in the US commercial honeybees declined by 40%.

In just one year, the demand on commercial honeybees is greater than ever. They are transported across the country to pollinate commercial crops from almonds in California to oranges in Florida and berries in the Northeast.

The loss of the bee population is due to many things like disease, loss of quality habitats, pesticides, and natural predators. But there is hope on the rise, that industrial hemp, can save the bee population. Hemp does not rely on pollination to thrive, rather the wind. Bees, however, seem to be quite attracted to flowering hemp.

According to Science News, bees having accessibility to hemp is helping bees build a better ecosystem and habitat, which makes them healthier and less vulnerable to disease.

Hemp flowers bloom in late summer months which is normally Mother Nature’s pollen drought season. Hemp is an abundant source of pollen at this time, and bees having access to the flowering buds, helps them flourish when normally they would have scarcity of pollen.

Hemp has helped strengthen the bee population, and help us become more food secure in the world.