EPIC Vancouver, the Sustainable and Green Living Expo is fast approaching on May 13-15, 2011 and we’d like to let you know about the critical environmental issue that Whole Foods Market will be addressing at the main exhibit with lots of fantastic displays and visuals.

Here are the facts:

• Bees are responsible for pollinating at least a third of our food crops including: nuts, coffee, mustard, apples, peaches and other fruits and vegetables.
• The value of pollination to Canadian food crops has been conservatively estimated at $1.2 billion per year.
• The bee population is rapidly declining in North America due to habitat loss and degradation and the use of pesticides. In fact, in the U.S. alone, feral honeybee populations have dropped approximately 90% in the past 50 years.

Within a 400-square-foot booth made of 100% recycled materials, Whole Foods experts will be on hand to educate people about the importance of the bee population for local agriculture and ecosystems and what they can do to help the decline. The exhibit will feature a full scale urban garden with a variety of living plants, informational displays and a movie trailer of “Queen of the Sun” – an award-winning documentary about the bee crisis.

In addition, bee keepers from B.C. will be present at select times throughout the weekend to discuss facts about pollination and honey production and the issues challenging the beekeeping community.