The declining pollinator populations are a threat to crop and food production in the United States. Jerry Hayes is Bee Health Lead with Monsanto. He says the declining number of honey bees are a result of a combination of stressors including commercialization of colonies as well as Colony Collapse Disorder, which is caused by a mite.

Hayes says previously the only way to control the mite was with insecticides. However, Monsanto has also developed a biological control.

To rebuild the bee population government agencies have also teamed with industry to develop a pollinator health plan. However, Hayes understands the pushback from farmers that say the habitat they’re supposed to provide as part of the plan is unreasonable.

He says, however, honey bees and other pollinators like Monarch butterflies are critical for food production and so the industry must arrive at a happy medium.