One third of the food crops grown in Ireland benefit from pollination, yet 30 per cent of the country’s bees could become extinct. If not addressed, it will have an impact on food supply and the environment over the coming years. Musgrave’s SuperValu aims to help local communities, schools and families create an environment where pollinators can thrive.
Bees are facing many threats, including habitat loss and lack of food, which means an uncertain future for the insects and other pollinators. It will ultimately affect the food we eat, in particular fruit and vegetables, as without pollinators it is difficult to eat a healthy balanced diet. The loss of bees’ habitats and their food source is a big factor in their decline.
SuperValu says it is an area where people can make simple changes that could have a big impact into the future. It is vital that bees have enough flowers to forage and safe places for nesting – among vegetation, the soil and hedges. In tandem with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, SuperValu has launched their Save the Bees campaign in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and to support the local biodiversity in communities.
The campaign will educate and empower school children to make a difference.
All of Ireland’s 3,200 primary schools has received a SuperValu Save the Bees pollinator pack. Co-created by Dr Una Fitzpatrick, head of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, and endorsed by SuperValu Tidy Towns, the pack contains guidebooks, posters and bookmarks as well as a wildflower garden kit with native Irish seeds and a garden sign to allow every school to create their own wildflower patch which can be replicated in gardens nationwide.
Maighréad Cremin, community and sponsorship manager, SuperValu, said families can collect their own Save the Bees cards in SuperValu with a spend of over €30. The cards are added to each school’s campaign poster which once completed can be entered into a draw to win a share of €50,000 for the school. The pack is fully recyclable.
Pictured above is Cassie Crosbie, 10, at the SuperValu Save the Bees launch
For more on the campaign visit https://supervalu.ie/real-people/save-the-bees
