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Matt Mulica, senior project director at Keystone Policy Center, recently joined The Produce Moms Podcast to talk about the Honey Bee Health Coalition and the critical role honey bees play in agriculture—and what’s at stake as bee populations continue to decline.
In his conversation with host Lori Taylor, Matt dives into the many challenges facing pollinators today, from pests and disease to environmental pressures and colony collapse, which has been documented at devastating rates in 2025. He also highlights the work of the Honey Bee Health Coalition, which Keystone helps lead, to address these issues through collaboration and science-based action.
The episode explores the interconnectedness of agriculture, pollinator health, and our food supply—making it clear that supporting bees is essential to ensuring a sustainable future for food production. With recent reports of a 62% loss in honey bee colonies, the need for collective action has never been more urgent.
Key takeaways from the episode include:
- Honey bees are responsible for pollinating one third of the food we eat.
- Beekeepers face growing challenges from pests, disease, and environmental stressors.
- Diverse plantings and local action can help support bee nutrition and resilience.
- Collaboration is key to balancing agricultural needs and pollinator health.
- The health of bee populations has a direct impact on food prices and availability.
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Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, became the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack is focusing on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.
Jerry Steiner has spent 40 years involved in agriculture following growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm. He began his career with Monsanto, in multiple business leadership roles. From 2003-2013 he served as a member of the Executive team, as the company’s Executive Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs. He led the company’s global Government, Public and Industry Affairs teams across the 70 countries where Monsanto conducts business. This experience got Jerry connected to the Keystones centers work in agriculture. Key among his responsibilities were shaping the company’s public policy and building partnerships aimed at helping farmers around the world produce more food, while conserving valuable resources like water and energy. Two unique partnership that developed under his leadership were drought tolerant corn with 5 African countries, CIMMYT and the Gates foundation, and a building a sustainable business model in Brazil with the value chain leading to significant multi-company investment and soybean varieties that can protected themselves.
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Congressman Joe Neguse represents Colorado’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected to his first term in November 2018, becoming the first Black Member of Congress in Colorado history. In December 2022, Rep. Neguse was elected by his colleagues to serve as Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), becoming the first Coloradan to serve in a senior elected leadership role in the House in over 85 years. He serves on the Natural Resources and Judiciary Committees, and was also appointed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to serve as one of four Democrats on the prestigious Rules Committee. Rep. Neguse serves as Ranking Member on the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, which he previously Chaired in the 117th Congress.
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