Beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder

As pollinators, honeybees play a role in every plate of food consumed across the world, and they've done so throughout history. Four prominent beekeepers in the Cape's Overberg region reveal what it takes to preserve and protect these extraordinary creatures.

- KYRA TARR

In 2012, images of farmers pollinating pear trees by hand in China's Sichuan Province drew international attention. For the first time, human beings were forced to ponder our dependency on these small insects.

As pesticides, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change continue to drive honeybee populations into decline, our vulnerability sparked the international catch phrase: "Save the bees!"

Luckily, South Africa has a robust wild bee population. The Overberg, with its sprawling farmlands and dense fynbos coverage, is one of the areas in which bee farming is a viable industry.

Beekeeping, or apiculture, is when humans maintain bee colonies (nowadays inside movable comb hives) for personal or commercial use. Hives can be harvested for honey, propolis, beeswax, royal jelly, and pollen, among other bee products, but a large portion of the industry is driven by commercial pollination.

What's that, you ask? Well, the scale of modern-day food production requires farmers to hire colonies of bees from beekeepers to pollinate their crops. Hives are transported to farms where pollination is required, and the bees are left for a couple of days to do what they do best.

For the following people, caring for bees and thereby ensuring our next meal - is a way of life.

From generation to generation

"A beekeeper's most valuable resource is land," says Danie Vorster, looking to his wife Nadia who nods in affirmation.

I've come to Stanford, where their business, Overberg Honey Company, is based.

"We're committed to fostering strong relationships with farmers, because at the end of the day, our hives need to stand on their land," Nadia adds.