Bees are an essential part of our food supply, pollinating more than one-third of the world’s crops. And Best Buy is committed to playing a small role in helping them thrive.
For the past three years, we have partnered with groups in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to sponsor two beehives, each buzzing with about 70,000 honeybees.
The hives are part of Best Buy’s broader efforts to positively impact the world.
“Sponsoring these beehives is a great example of how we partner with others in the community to promote environmental sustainability,” said Tim Dunn, Best Buy’s head of environmental sustainability.
Additionally, we’ve cut our carbon footprint in half since 2009 and recently unveiled the Best Buy Solar Field, a project that will produce 174,000 megawatt hours of clean electricity per year.
It takes a colony
Managing a beehive is no simple task. That’s why Best Buy collaborates with other community partners on the initiative.
The wooden hives are located at Minnesota Independence College and Community (MICC), across the street from our corporate campus in Richfield, Minnesota. There, people can safely observe and learn about the hives.
Aaron Carper, MICC’s director of community programs, said the hives are a great form of ongoing education for participants at school. MICC is a skills-based, postsecondary training program for young adults on the Autism spectrum or those with similar learning differences.
The University of Minnesota Bee Squad manages the hives year-round, helping ensure the colony is healthy and that the bees have enough space to thrive. The group of bee enthusiasts manages dozens of hives across the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, collecting research on urban honeybees and bee health in different types of areas.
“Keeping honeybees at MICC is a great way to engage with the community,” said Bridget Mendel, program manager for the Bee Squad. “The hives spark a curiosity in people to learn about why we need bees and other ways they can support pollinators.”
Best Buy supports the costs and sets up the community events. All the honey the bees produce is shared between MICC, Best Buy and Best Buy’s food-service provider, Bon Appetit.
Click here to learn more about Best Buy’s sustainability efforts.