About one-third of the human diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants, and Honeybees, the most effective pollinator, are responsible for about 80 percent of that. Some crops, including blueberries and cherries, are 90 percent dependent on HoneyBee pollination; one crop, almonds, depends entirely on the honeybee.

California has the largest beekeeping industry of any state in the U.S.: nearly three-fourths of the country’s commercial honeybee crop pollination is conducted here. About two million colonies across the country are rented by growers each year to service over 90 different crops. Whether you are a massive factory farm, or the smallest home gardener, all of us should recognize the tremendous outsized contribution these bees have made to our lives.

Since 2004, a strange phenomenon called “CCD”, where honeybee colonies leave their homes and don’t return, has become a global crisis—some say as serious as global warming. In the U.S. alone we have likely lost well over one million colonies. What does this portend for us? Perhaps more importantly, what does that say about us? Joining Kitchen Table Talks in conversation will be:

Michael Thiele grew up on a farm in a tiny village in Germany. He has been deeply influenced by the biodynamic beekeeping movement, and now teaches classes on natural and holistic beekeeping in Sonoma, CA. at a honeybee sanctuary, The Melissa Garden, which he helped create. He also started Gaiabees to “promote a shift of paradigm of life on earth, including new approaches to beekeeping and bee hives, and the study of human consciousness.”

Dr. Michelle Flenniken, awarded the Haagen Dazs postdoctoral research fellowship for Honey Bee Biology in 2008, is currently studying the interactions of RNA viruses and the honeybee’s immune system at UCSF. Her research is focused on the biology of the honeybe, honeybe viruses, and CCD.

Cameo Wood is the proprietrix for Her Majesty’s Secret Beekeeper (HMSB) shop, likely the only urban beekeeping store in the country, which is located in the Mission district of San Francisco. Through HMSB, she has helped develop the local market for San Francisco and other Bay Area honeys. She also co-founded a non-profit, SF Bee-Cause, which aims to offer transitional employment to young people by teaching them about beekeeping, honey production, and other skills.

Kitchen Table Talks is a joint venture of CivilEats and 18 Reasons. Space is limited, so please RSVP. A $10 suggested donation is requested at the door, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Sustainable food and refreshments will be provided, courtesy of Bi-Rite Market and Shoe Shine Wine.