Bees & Pollination

This project will develop software that can interpret the sound of a honey bee colony to assess its health and strength. Bees are under threat from habitat loss, agricultural intensification, parasites and climate change. The UN estimates that of the 100 crops that provide 90% of food worldwide, 71 are pollinated by bees. However in more than half of European countries there are not enough honey bees to pollinate crops. Insect pollination contributes an estimated €153bn to global agricultural crop value. There is a need to conserve bees or we risk big financial losses to the farming sector and a potential food security crisis.