The Bio-Politics of Bees

Abstract

Everywhere, honeybees and other insect pollinators are dwindling and dying, in a slowly but relentlessly unfolding crisis that has come to be known as “Colony Collapse Disorder.” This article draws upon theoretical currents from animal studies, environmental sociology and ecofeminism in order to explore the aetiology and significance of this crisis, an animal-techno-ecological assemblage of forbidding complexity and intense controversy. It is argued that the critical animal studies concept of the “animal-industrial complex” offers a potentially fruitful framework for grasping CCD, but that it ultimately rests upon notions of nonhuman animal subjectivity and objectification which do not translate persuasively to eusocial invertebrates such as honeybees. The article therefore develops a bio-political reading of the animal-industrial complex which reworks its conceptual underpinnings such as to render coherent the notion of an “apis-industrial complex.” This bio-political approach is articulated through a critical discussion of the relationship between the industrial organization of agricultural production and the vital materiality of complex living systems.

How Bizarre, How Bizarre, How Bees Are: Domus and Umwelt in the Multispecies Entanglements of Humans and Honeybees

“…For people who do not come into regular contact with farmed bees or the pollination in which farmed and wild bees engage in, the lack of bees in their own umwelt may contribute to this association of bees as an "it". Without that close contact and intimate understanding of the inner lives of bees, it may be easy for the average human on the street to objectify these tiny, often unobtrusive creatures (Nimmo 2015). In their role as pollinators, bees are transformed into Haraway's "it", changing their umwelt by placing them in the service of human farming activities and, ultimately, the cycle of profit inherent to capitalism.…”

Do we need Artificial Pollination if we have Multispecies Justice in the Anthropocene?

“…Whilst it is noted that honeybees can be wild insect pollinators, in this article, honeybees are taken to be those which are kept in managed beehives. They are also noted separately to other insect pollinators because they are used commercially in agricultural systems and are worth hundreds of billions of dollars to the agricultural sector (Nimmo, 2015). This separation is not intended to privilege honeybees but to illustrate their importance in the agricultural sector for food production.…”

“…This could potentially lead to the extinction of certain species of pollinators and certain species of plants (Memmott et al, 2007). Additionally, colony collapse disorder (CCD) has led to a rapid decline in honeybees (Lorenz, 2016;Nimmo, 2015). CCD occurs when adult honeybees abandon a hive even if the colony appears productive and healthy (Lorenz, 2016).…”

“…This is not the only problem associated with honeybees. Due to inadequate breeding practices by commercial breeders, honeybees have suffered a loss of genetic diversity (Nimmo, 2015). This may impact the long term viability of honeybees, especially if they were to suffer from disease.…”

“…Insect pollinators carry out free work for farmers and gardeners. A third of food consumed by humans worldwide are pollinated by insects, and a further third of food products have relied upon insects for pollination at some point in the production process (Nimmo, 2015).…”