Luc Decubber is a cranberry farmer on his 160 hectares farm, Canneberges Bécancour.
Located in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec, a small town about two hours northeast of Montreal, Canneberges Bécancour used to rely on native pollinators when it started nearly 30 years ago.
Unfortunately, there are not enough native pollinators to cover the farm’s expanding footprint anymore so, Decubber is forced to rent honeybees to pollinate the small white flowers to eventually turn into cranberries.
Every year, Decubber rents about 1,000 hives to set up around the bogs where cranberries grow.
"If there's not an animal or someone to pollinate [the flowers], we will have no fruit," says Luc Decubber. He worries it could become even harder to achieve in years to come.
The region where Canneberges Bécancour is located is sometimes referred to as Canada’s cranberry capital and is one of the largest producers of the fruit in the world.
"About a third of the food that we eat, and it's the most nutritious and delicious component of our diet, is pollinated by bees,” adds Decubber.
Cranberry farmers will have to find alternative solutions but one long-term solution Decubber is working on is trying to attract natural pollinators back by planting indigenous bushes around the cranberry bogs.
"It's gonna be a big challenge for the beekeeping industry and it could affect the pollination service as well," states Ducebber.
June 20th to June 26th, 2022, was Pollinator Week, recognizing the nationwide importance of pollinators. Read more here.
More about pollinators
Pollinators are not only bees, but they are insects and small animals such as birds and butterflies. Pollinators positively affect our lives and make our gardens and the world greener. Celebrate pollinators and see events happening near you to spread awareness on pollinator protection here.