Ever wonder what dinner would look like if bees – one of nature’s most miraculous and necessary insects – became extinct due to mankind’s unsustainable habits?
To inspire more people to take seriously the concern of colony collapse, as well as get involved in the co-creation of their own future, Whole Foods asked this question and partnered with the Xerces Society to produce the shocking visual below.
This is what supermarkets might look like in the future if bees are allowed to die out:
To highlight the importance of bees, the University Heights, Rhode Island store removed all foods that are reliant upon the important pollinators. 52% of the produce department’s offerings would be pulled from shelves if the bumbling insects disappeared… leaving little to get excited about.
Bees are responsible for pollinating a number of plants which often make their way to the dinner table. So if they were to go extinct (due to a number of suspected reasons), it’s quite accurate to say Earth’s menu would change dramatically as well.
Without bees, the following foods would no longer be available: apples, onions, avocados, carrots, mangoes, lemons, limes, honeydew, cantaloupe, zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, cucumbers, celery, green onions, cauliflower, leeks, bok choy, kale, broccoli, broccoli rabe and mustard greens.
For the project, only fruits and vegetables were yanked from the shelves, but the scene could be a glimpse at the dismal future of food if more is not done to revive dwindling bee populations.
Whole Foods also launched ‘Share the Buzz’, a new program which gives shoppers insight on foods that help foster bees, as well as non-toxic pest tips. You can learn more about that here.
A number of videos have also been produced and released by the company sharing how boring culinary creations will become without pollinators:
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