Syngenta Helps Bees in Puerto Rico in Aftermath of Storm

In the days following 2017’s Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico’s pollinators, which contribute significantly to the pollination of specialty crops and the island’s rich biodiversity, were visibly hungry and distressed. David Flakne, senior director of state affairs at Syngenta, learned of the pollinators’ challenges when he was organizing two airlifts of emergency supplies from the U.S. to Puerto Rico.

“When we were organizing the second air charter, which included food and supplies for the people of Puerto Rico, our contacts on the ground happened to mention how the bees were swarming and in crisis,” Flakne says. “It occurred to me that the bees were without homes or food—and that we had an opportunity to help. Residents in Puerto Rico were being advised to put sugar water on their porches for the pollinators to feed upon, but that is not a permanent solution for sustaining pollinators.”

For the pollinators that had lost their food and forage sources, help came in the form of pollen-replacing protein patties and beehives, which were secured in collaboration with Pollinator Partnership, and then airlifted to Puerto Rico for distribution to beekeepers.

“It occurred to me that the bees were without homes or food—and that we had an opportunity to help.”

Pollinator Partnership is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems.

Not only did the replacement food nourish the pollinators, but it also brought attention and awareness to these small but important contributors to production agriculture. And in an environment known for its resilient tropical vegetation, the pollinators are well on their way to rebuilding thriving populations one year after the storm.