Bitter Honey - by Jennie Durant (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A revealing investigation into how industrial farming poses a growing threat to America's bees

Each February, a vast yet largely invisible migration takes place across the United States. Semi-trucks stacked high with honey bee colonies head to California's Central Valley, carrying nearly 99 percent of the nation's domesticated bees. There, they pollinate millions of acres of blooming almond orchards before fanning out across the country for apples, berries, and other crops. This massive undertaking sustains both beekeepers and farmers--but it comes at a heavy price.

In Bitter Honey, Jennie Durant takes readers behind the scenes to reveal the human and ecological cost of industrial farming for bees, beekeepers, and all of us who depend on them. While colony collapse disorder made headlines twenty years ago, today's bees face a new gauntlet of threats: parasites and disease, pesticide exposure, and climate extremes--all magnified by Big Ag. Beekeepers, meanwhile, endure grueling practices just to survive, often losing half their hives each year.

But this isn't a story of defeat. Durant introduces us to the beekeepers, farmers, and activists pioneering new ways to support both wild and managed bees. Their efforts range from large-scale actions like protecting land for forage to promoting pollinator gardens at home, together forming a growing movement to safeguard pollinators.

The stakes are high: nearly three-quarters of our major food crops depend on bees and other pollinators. Bitter Honey exposes the crisis threatening the nation's bees and spotlights the advocates working to protect them for generations to come.

About the Author

Jennie Durant is a writer and researcher focused on bees, sustainable agriculture, and the environment. She has spent more than a decade working with beekeepers, scientists, and policymakers, including time at the USDA and UC Berkeley. Her writing has appeared in Grist, The Huffington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, and other outlets. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.