Colombia's Plate Without Bees - an arepa con hogao plate showing the bee-dependent foods that would disappear without pollinators

Colombia Edition

Colombia's Plate Sans abeilles

Six iconic Colombian dishes. Over 1,500 native bee species. What vanishes from the plate when the pollinators disappear.

Colombia is home to more than 1,500 bee species - the third-highest bee diversity of any country in the Americas. Colombia is also the world's second-largest coffee producer; coffee carries a 25% modest pollinator dependency and bee cross-pollination increases yields by 15-20%. Without pollinators, an estimated 75% of globally important food crop species cannot produce fruit, seed, or viable harvest. This tool shows what that means for six iconic Colombian dishes. Select a dish, then remove the bees.

Source : Klein et al : Klein et al. (2007), Dependence of World Crops on Pollinators. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 274(1608), 303-313. Catégories de dépendance : Essentielle 95%, élevée 65%, modeste 25%, faible 5%, nulle 0%.

Principaux enseignements

87 des principales cultures vivrières du monde dépendent, dans une certaine mesure, de la pollinisation animale (Klein et al., 2007).
Without bees, Colombian Arepas con Hogao lose their tomato-onion sauce entirely - both primary hogao ingredients are pollinator-dependent
Colombia has over 1,500 native bee species - the third-highest bee diversity in the Americas
Colombia is the world's second-largest coffee producer; bee cross-pollination increases Colombian Arabica yields by 15-20% in field studies
Colombian avocado Hass production in Antioquia and the Eje Cafetero depends on managed honeybee colonies during flowering

Why Colombian Cuisine Depends on Bees

Colombian food is the cuisine of hogao - the tomato and spring onion sauce accompanying everything from rice to eggs to Bandeja Paisa. Hogao contains tomatoes (65%) and spring onion (65%) as its two primary ingredients, both pollinator-dependent. Without bees, hogao cannot be made. Arepas, Colombia's most eaten food, are made from corn (wind-pollinated, unaffected). But the avocado (95%), tomato (65%), and hogao sauce that accompany them are all pollinator-dependent. Bandeja Paisa loses its avocado slice and tomato salsa. Cholado loses mango (25%), strawberries (95%), passion fruit (95%), lychee (95%), and pineapple (25%) - five fruit toppings, all pollinator-dependent. Without bees, Colombian tropical fruit culture disappears entirely.

Colombia is the world's second-largest coffee producer, and bee cross-pollination has been shown to increase Colombian Arabica yields by 15-20% in field studies. At the scale of Colombia's coffee industry - worth over 2 billion dollars in annual exports - a 20% yield benefit from bee pollination represents enormous economic value. Colombian coffee-growing regions from Huila to Nariño to Antioquia support native bee populations in the shade-grown forest margins that many traditional Colombian coffee farms maintain.

"Without bees, Colombian Arepas con Hogao lose their sauce entirely. Tomatoes and spring onion - the two ingredients of hogao - are both pollinator-dependent. The arepa remains. The condiment that defines Colombian eating does not."

The Science Behind Colombian Crop Pollination

1,500+

Native bee species in Colombia

Colombia's Pacific coast, Amazon basin, Andes mountain ranges, and Caribbean coast give it the third-highest bee diversity of any country in the Americas. The Colombian Andes cloud forests are particularly species-rich. Colombia has no native Apis honeybee; all commercial honey uses introduced Apis mellifera. Approximately 70% of Colombian bee species are at risk. Data: South American bee research literature and IUCN assessments.

Key Colombian pollinator dependencies: tomatoes (65%), spring onions (65%), avocado (95%), passion fruit (95%), mango (25%), cucumber (95%), lemon (65%), coriander (65%), and coffee (25% modest). Our Miel d'acacia provient des forêts des Carpates Transylvanian. Pour en savoir plus A propos de la page, essayez notre abonnement au miel et économiser 20%, ou explorer les Atlas mondial des abeilles. Pour le déclin des abeilles, lisez notre article sur pourquoi les populations d'abeilles diminuent.

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Questions fréquemment posées

Which Colombian foods disappear without bees?

Tomatoes, spring onions, avocado, passion fruit, mango, cucumber, lemon, and coriander are all significantly pollinator-dependent. Rice, beans, corn, pork, and plantain are largely unaffected. Colombian hogao sauce and the tropical fruit tradition disappear without pollinators.

How many bee species live in Colombia?

Colombia has over 1,500 native bee species - the third-highest bee diversity in the Americas after Brazil and Mexico. The Colombian Andes cloud forests are particularly species-rich. Approximately 70% are at risk.

Does Colombian coffee depend on bees?

Yes, at 25% modest dependency. Bee cross-pollination increases Colombian Arabica yields by 15-20% in field studies. At over 2 billion dollars in annual exports, this represents enormous economic value. Colombian shade-grown coffee farms support native bee populations in forest margins.

What is hogao and why does it depend on bees?

Hogao is Colombia's defining cooked tomato and spring onion sauce served with almost every Colombian meal. Its two primary ingredients - tomatoes (65%) and spring onions (65%) - are both pollinator-dependent. Without bees, hogao cannot be made.

Is Colombia a major avocado producer?

Yes. Colombia is one of the fastest-growing avocado exporters globally, with Hass avocado production expanding in Antioquia and the Eje Cafetero. Avocado carries 95% essential pollinator dependency and the industry deploys managed honeybee colonies during flowering.

What percentage of Colombian food requires pollinators?

Colombian cuisine's defining condiments and fresh ingredients - tomatoes (65%), spring onion (65%), avocado (95%), passion fruit (95%), and coriander (65%) - are all significantly pollinator-dependent under Klein et al. (2007). Rice, beans, corn, pork, and plantain are largely unaffected.