In an active effort to find a solution to the declining bee population, USDA announced $8 million in funding the Conservation Reserve Program to give incentives to farmers and ranchers in the northern Midwest who establish new habitats for honey bee populations.
"American agricultural production relies on having a healthy honey bee population," says Tom Vilsack, department secretary. "In recent years, factors such as diseases, parasites, pesticides or habitat loss have contributed to a significant decline in the honey bee population.”