Honey Nut Cheerios launches bee-saving campaign

To address the serious problem of bee population instability, Honey Nut Cheerios has launched a campaign calling on Canadians to help “Bring Back The Bees.”

“One third of the foods we depend on for our survival are made possible by the natural pollination work that bees provide,” says Emma Eriksson, director of Marketing for General Mills Canada. “With ongoing losses in bee populations being reported across Canada, we’re issuing a call to action to Canadians to help plant 35 million wildflowers – one for every person in Canada.”

As part of this campaign, Honey Nut Cheerios is giving away free wildflower seeds packs and encouraging consumers to visit BringBackTheBees.ca to request their own.

“There are a range of threats to Canada’s bee population, but among the biggest are the elimination of flowering plants and ground cover in urban and rural areas alike,” says renowned bee expert Marla Spivak, professor of Entomology at the University of Minnesota, who is lending her support to the initiative. “The goal of planting 35 million wildflowers will go a long way toward helping provide the natural habitat and food supply that is essential for healthy, sustainable bee colonies.”

A press release from General Mills Canada explains that in the winter of 2014, Ontario beekeepers lost 58 per cent of the province’s honeybee population; and after the winter of 2015, 16 per cent of all Canadian bee colonies were lost, 38 per cent in Ontario.

“We know Canadians are concerned about the state of things for our bees. Planting wildflowers is an easy, tangible way they can help – and it can be a fun, family activity as well,” says Eriksson.