Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that bee populations are healthier in and around organic farms than elsewhere and if so, why?

According to experts from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, bees are responsible for a third of the world’s food production. Flowering plants, which make up about 75 percent of agricultural crops, depend on pollinators like bees for seed production, thus ensuring the success of future crop generations. Concerningly, this critical insect faces a multitude of health threats.

Bees are mainly threatened by constant exposure to synthetic pesticides. Neonicotinoids, for example, are common insecticides that affect the receptors in a bee’s nervous system. Consuming the nectar of t...