what is world bee day

World Bee Day is an international day on 20 May dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of bees and other pollinators, the threats they face, and why protecting them matters for food, nature, and people.

What is World Bee Day?

It is a United Nations–designated observance held every year on 20 May.

The date honors the birthday of Anton Janša, an 18th‑century pioneer of modern beekeeping from Slovenia.

The day highlights how bees support food security, biodiversity, and sustainable development worldwide.

Why bees matter

Bees are key pollinators , helping plants reproduce by moving pollen between flowers.

Around one‑third of the food we eat depends on pollination, and bees help pollinate a large share of major food crops.

By pollinating wild plants, bees help maintain forests, meadows, and habitats that support many other species.

Main goals of World Bee Day

Raise awareness of:
- How crucial bees and other pollinators are for food and ecosystems.

 * The threats they face, such as habitat loss, pesticides, pollution, climate change, and disease.

Encourage action:
- Governments and organizations to support bee‑friendly farming, habitat protection, and research.

 * Individuals to plant pollinator‑friendly flowers, reduce chemical use, and support sustainable honey and beekeeping.

Who started it and since when?

World Bee Day was proposed and led by Slovenia, together with beekeeping organizations such as Apimondia.

The UN General Assembly officially proclaimed 20 May as World Bee Day in 2017, and it has been marked globally since 2018.

How it’s celebrated today

Events include workshops, school activities, beekeeping demonstrations, policy talks, and media campaigns focused on pollinators.

The UN and FAO run annual themes (for example, focusing on nature‑based solutions and sustainable food systems) and provide toolkits, infographics, and digital campaigns under hashtags like #WorldBeeDay.

Quick HTML fact table

html

<table>
  <tr>
    <th>Aspect</th>
    <th>Details</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Date</td>
    <td>20 May every year[web:1][web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Proclaimed by</td>
    <td>United Nations General Assembly in 2017[web:3][web:9]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>First celebrated</td>
    <td>2018 onwards[web:9]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Reason for date</td>
    <td>Birthday of beekeeping pioneer Anton Janša (Slovenia)[web:3][web:9]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Main purpose</td>
    <td>Raise awareness of importance of bees, pollination, and threats they face[web:1][web:5][web:7][web:9]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Key themes</td>
    <td>Food security, biodiversity, sustainable development, nature-based solutions[web:1][web:3][web:5][web:7]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Typical activities</td>
    <td>Educational events, campaigns, beekeeping demos, policy dialogues, social media outreach[web:2][web:5][web:6][web:9][web:10]</td>
  </tr>
</table>

TL;DR: World Bee Day (20 May) is a UN international day to celebrate bees, warn about the dangers they face, and inspire governments and ordinary people to protect pollinators and the ecosystems they support.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.

what is world bee day