Cheerios has recently unveiled a new campaign to help curve the continually declining bee population, by announcing that they are going to be giving away 1.5 billion wildflower seeds.
The seeds are a part of an initiative to try and boost the global bee population around the US. Originally they had pledged about 100 million in partnership with the Veseys Seeds company, and now they are looking to give a lot more.
The famous breakfast cereal recently removed the bee mascot from their boxes in order to try and bring attention to the bee population issue.
Honey Nut Cheerios pledges by 2020 that oat farms working with the General Mills supply chain, will set aside thousands of acres in land dedicated specifically to pollniators.
General Mills is trying to display the stance that they are committed to increasing the habitat for pollinators around the world, and they want to not only make better products but also try to do it in a responsible way, they say.
They are looking to plant the wildflower seeds all over the United States.
Be careful before you start planting those seeds though, because many jurisdictions actually have regulations about what you can and cannot plant. For instance, the California poppy is listed as an invasive plant for the southeastern states and the Forget-Me-Not is another one that's banned in Massachusetts.
It's alleged that several of the seed types that are included in the Cheerios giveaway, are seeds that aren't native to the United States and critics say that therefore they won't be helpful to any bees.
However, General Mills has said that the flower varieties which were chosen to be included in the giveaway, were selected because they are known to be flowers which produce nectar and pollen that's attractive to bees.
A lot of things have been credited with contributing to the declining bee population, things like pesticides, larvicides, GMOs, and more. North American bee populations are said to have suffered quite staggering losses over the past decade. When it comes to the seed giveaway, it's a mixed reaction. Many are seeing it as a good thing, but there are others who suggest that it might actually do more harm than good.
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Sources:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4330280/Cheerios-takes-mascot-boxes-raise-bee-awareness.html
http://www.refinery29.com/2017/03/145977/honey-nut-cheerios-box-savethebees
http://fortune.com/2017/03/19/cheerios-save-bee-seeds-dangerous/
http://mashable.com/2017/03/19/cheerios-bee-campaign-controversy/#hWpCRi.b5PqC
http://www.wifr.com/content/news/Cheerios-tries-to-help-curve-the-bee-death-rate-416564823.html
http://www.kcci.com/article/cheerios-launches-initiative-to-boost-global-bee-population/9155173
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