The world’s honeybee populations are declining: ravaged by a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder that kills entire hives with no warning. Up to 30 percent of the world’s food supply relies on honeybee pollination, yet scientists don’t yet know what causes the problem.

“When companies need to recall food due to a listeria outbreak, it costs a lot of money,” says Éric Biron, a professor at Université Laval. “At the same time, the loss associated with animal deaths caused by clostridium in livestock farming is estimated to be around $2 billion per year.”

For First Nations communities in northern Canada and other remote regions, access to safe and clean water, toilets, and food preparation areas presents a serious challenge to communal gatherings. For elders, women, youth, and gender-diverse community members, this often means they simply do not participate in community events.