Why does avocado depend on bees?

Avocado flowers switch between male and female at different times of day, requiring bees to cross-pollinate between trees. Klein et al. (2007) rates avocado at 95% pollinator dependency.

Mexico Edition

Mexico's Plate Without Bees

Six iconic Mexican dishes. Over 1,600 native bee species. What vanishes from the plate when the pollinators disappear.

Mexico is home to more than 1,600 bee species, more than any other country in North America, including over 46 native stingless bee species managed by Mayan beekeepers for over 3,000 years. 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 Mexican dishes, from Tacos al Pastor to Guacamole, using peer-reviewed dependency data from Klein et al. (2007). Select a dish, then remove the bees.

Source: Klein et al. (2007), Dependence of World Crops on Pollinators. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 274(1608), 303-313. Dependency categories: Essential 95%, High 65%, Modest 25%, Little 5%, None 0%.

Key Takeaways

87 of the world's leading food crops depend on animal pollination to some degree (Klein et al., 2007)
Without bees, Guacamole cannot exist - avocado (95%), tomatoes (65%), onion (65%), lime (65%), and coriander (65%) are all pollinator-dependent
Mexico has over 1,600 native bee species - more than any other North American country
The Mayan stingless bee Melipona beecheii has been managed for honey production for over 3,000 years
Mexico is the world's second-largest avocado producer; orchards depend entirely on honeybee pollination during flowering

Why Mexican Cuisine Depends on Bees

Mexican food is the cuisine of the avocado, tomato, chilli, lime, and coriander. Without pollinators, this sentence becomes almost meaningless. Avocado carries 95% essential pollinator dependency. Tomatoes carry 65%. Lime carries 65%. Coriander carries 65%. Guacamole - five of six primary ingredients dependent on pollinators - is perhaps the clearest illustration of total pollinator dependency in any national dish. Without bees, Guacamole is a bowl of salt. Mexico is also home to the 3,000-year-old Mayan stingless bee tradition, keeping Melipona beecheii in hollow log hives called jobones - a UNESCO-recognised practice still active in Yucatan today.

Mexico is the world's second-largest avocado producer at over 2 million tonnes annually. The Michoacan orchards depend on managed honeybee colonies during flowering. Without those bees, there is no avocado. Tacos al Pastor lose their pineapple (25%), Mole Poblano loses its tomatoes and chilli base, and Chiles Rellenos loses both its stuffed pepper and tomato sauce.

"Without bees, Mexican Guacamole cannot be made. Five of its six ingredients are pollinator-dependent. What remains is a bowl of salt."

The Science Behind Mexican Crop Pollination

1,600+

Native bee species in Mexico

Mexico has the highest bee diversity of any North American country. It is the centre of diversity for stingless bees in the Americas with over 46 native Meliponini species. The Yucatan Peninsula and Oaxaca are particularly species-rich. Approximately 70% of Mexican bee species are at risk. Data: Ascher and Pickering bee database.

Key Mexican pollinator dependencies: avocado (95%), cucumbers (95%), tomatoes (65%), lime (65%), coriander (65%), onion (65%), red peppers (65%), pineapple (25%), and mango (25%). Our Acacia Honey comes from Transylvanian Carpathian forests. Read more on the About page, try our honey subscription and save 20%, or explore the World Bee Atlas. For bee decline, read our article on why bee populations are declining.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which Mexican foods disappear without bees?

Avocado, tomatoes, lime, coriander, onion, chilli peppers, pineapple, and mango are all significantly pollinator-dependent. Corn, rice, beans, and pork are largely unaffected. Without bees, guacamole, salsa, and most Mexican condiments cannot be made.

How many bee species live in Mexico?

Mexico has over 1,600 native bee species - the highest of any North American country. Mexico is the centre of stingless bee diversity in the Americas with over 46 native Meliponini species. Approximately 70% are at risk.

What is Mayan beekeeping?

Mayan meliponiculture is the 3,000-year-old tradition of keeping stingless bees (Melipona beecheii) in hollow logs called jobones. The honey Xunan Kab was sacred in Mayan religion. This UNESCO-recognised practice is still active in Yucatan today.

Why does avocado depend so much on bees?

Avocado flowers are female in the morning and male in the afternoon (or vice versa), requiring bees to cross-pollinate between trees at specific times. Klein et al. (2007) rates avocado at 95% pollinator dependency. Without managed honeybee colonies, commercial avocado production collapses.

What percentage of Mexican food requires pollinators?

Mexico's defining ingredients - avocado (95%), tomatoes (65%), lime (65%), coriander (65%), and chillies (25-65%) - are all pollinator-dependent under Klein et al. (2007). Mexican cuisine's reliance on fresh produce places it among the most pollinator-dependent food cultures in the Americas.

How can I help protect bees in Mexico?

Support organisations protecting Mayan meliponiculture and native Mexican bee populations. Choose food products from supply chains committed to pollinator health. Explore the World Bee Atlas to learn which species are native to Mexico.