If reports are to be true, Walmart is in research of building robo bees. The invention might address the unprecedented decline of honey bees due to various environmental factors. Today, nearly one-third of the food we eat is pollinated by honeybees.
Why Robo Bees?
Though food crops such as rice, wheat, and corn are pollinated by wind, most of the vegetable and fruits we consume require honeybees support to pollinate.
Modern farming practices such as extensive use of bee killing pesticides, fertilizers and unscientific handling of natural vegetation are killing the earth’s pollinators who are doing their job for free. A research in the US in 2010 estimated that bees contribute to nearly USD 40 billion per annum and according to the American Beekeeping Federation, honey bees contribute to nearly USD 15 billion per annum to US crop production alone. Besides this, if we take a hectare of production one more research estimated that wild bees contribute to nearly 3,251 USD per ha per year to crop production.
With such a significant contribution which the bees are providing to farmers and retailers at free of cost, Walmart is investing in the right direction to work on robo bees to safeguard food industry. This attempt can potentially save their cost of production in the future and can effectively balance the crop yields. Let’s hope that Walmart succeeds.
Besides robot bees, the world’s largest retailer has also applied for patents covering a host of farming and agriculture technologies covering – crop monitoring, pest & disease identification, and automation devices.
Also read- Farmer Friendly Insects