to bee or not to bee

Popular ice cream flavors such as Rocky Road and Cherry Vanilla may be in danger thanks to the mysterious disappearance of honeybees. That has led to a major ice cream brand’s first journey to Capitol Hill in order to protect its sweet treats.

Häagen-Dazs’s flavors are heavily dependent on all-natural ingredients that can only be produced from bee pollination. Overall, 30 of the popular brand’s 73 ice creams, frozen yogurts and sorbets use such ingredients.

Therefore, the ice cream producer is sending its executives to Washington to testify before a House Agriculture subcommittee, calling for more funds into research for the mysterious vanishing bees, otherwise known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

“It is an issue that is far broader than Häagen-Dazs as an ice cream brand. It is an issue we all should care about because it affects what we eat,” said Katty Pien, brand director for the ice cream company. Pien has a point: About a third of the nation’s food, such as fruits, nuts and vegetables, are produced by bee pollination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The honeybee trade is valued at about $15 billion annually.

Losses in honeybees are not uncommon, but bees failing to return to the hive and the rapid depletion of their colonies, credited to CCD, have worried beekeepers. Overall, there is an estimated 35 percent decline in bee colonies for 2008 thus far. Plus, the price of honey has trended upwards since 1998 and was more than a dollar per pound in 2007, according to USDA.

The cause of CCD is not known, though researchers have offered a number of theories, from parasites to chemical contamination. Even the stress of traveling as hives are shipped across the country may cause the disorder. Beekeepers in 35 states have been affected.

Mark Brady, president of the American Honey Producers Association , believes CCD may come from a new strain of disease. “Once the bees are infected with it, it just shortens their lifespan. Where there once [were] these big, strong colonies, it’s just not the case anymore,” said Brady, himself a beekeeper who operates about 8,000 colonies in Texas, California and Nebraska.

Several hearings have been held in both the House and Senate since last year. Legislation has also passed Congress. Measures were introduced by Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) in 2007. Language from those bills was added to this year’s Farm Bill. One provision would authorize $100 million over five years for research into CCD. Another would encourage farmers to plant flowering plants, such as alfalfa and clover — thus increasing the habitat for pollinating honeybees — by offering incentives under the legislation’s conservation program.

Häagen-Dazs has also done its part. The ice cream company has already contributed $150,000 to Penn State University and another $100,000 to UC Davis for CCD research. The company plans to issue more research grants in the future.

In addition, all flavors that could be affected by the honeybee disappearance are being labeled with a new logo to promote awareness of the problem. Häagen-Dazs has also developed a new flavor, Vanilla Honeybee, to advocate for the cause.