Saving both the bees and farmers is the aim of Friends of the Earth Malta, who is currently collecting signatures in support of a bee-friendly agriculture and a healthy environment.

“Bees all over the world are in trouble, including here in Malta, where more than 100 bee species can be found in the wild,” the NGO said.

Together with 90 organisations from across the EU, FoE Malta have recently launched a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) with the aim of collecting at least one million signatures.

Signatures are still needed to help FoE reach the 4500 target signatures in Malta by March 2021, The petition is available here: http://foemalta.org/beesaver

FoE Malta said that “if you sign this petition, you are working to keep pesticides off your plate and keep farmers in the fields.

The NGO is also organising a special holiday season give-away: if you sign their petition, you have a chance of winning a Bee tote bag with a present of your choice (a bee hotel, a bottle of mead or a jar of honey). The winner will be picked on the 4th of December.

“Right now, bees need us almost as much as we need them,” said FoE Malta. “The decline in bees’ diversity and abundance would have a serious impact on how our natural world functions. This includes our food crops. Bees pollinate much of the food that makes our diets healthy and tasty – from the apple in our lunchbox, to the tomatoes on our pizza.”

“We are facing an emergency with nature disappearing at an unprecedented rate,” said that NGO. “We are launching this campaign to show that the public supports decision makers to take much bolder steps to transform our agriculture, save nature and support sustainable farmers that protect our countryside.”

FoE stressed that this campaign stands shoulder-to-shoulder with farmers and farmworkers. “We are demanding a just transition for farmers to support them through the switch to the pesticide-free, sustainable farming we need for our future.”

“It comes at a time when millions of farmers are being squeezed out by unfair prices, the lack of political support and big corporations. Four million small farms disappeared between 2005 and 2016 in the EU,” added the NGO.

FoE Malta argued that “citizens want a system that no longer damages biodiversity and ecosystems or puts consumer health at risk, but instead ensures the livelihood of bees and farmers alike and is healthier for people.”

“With our initiative, we are committed to making this kind of agriculture a reality throughout Europe. There is still time to make this possible if you sign this petition and share it as much as possible,” it said.

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