Brazilian beekeepers sound alarm as wild bee populations vanish near lithium mining operations

In Brazil’s Jequitinhonha Valley, a troubling environmental paradox is unfolding where the mining of materials essential for green technology may be harming the very ecosystems we need to protect. Local beekeepers and Indigenous residents report a dramatic decline in wild bee populations since Canadian company Sigma Lithium began constructing its electric vehicle battery facility in the region around 2021.

Aécio Luiz, a farmer-turned-beekeeper from the Afro-Brazilian community of Córrego Narciso, remembers when finding wild beehives was commonplace on his property. “Now, that has become a rarity,” he told environmental news outlet Mongabay. His observations are echoed by Osmar Aranã of the local Aranã Indigenous people, who notes that native bees and their nests have virtually disappeared over the past four years—coinciding with increased industrial activity including lithium projects and eucalyptus plantations.

The situation highlights a complex challenge in addressing climate change: while lithium is crucial for renewable energy storage and electric vehicles, its extraction may be disrupting local ecosystems. André Rech, a pollination ecology expert at the Federal University of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys, warns that even small environmental changes in this vulnerable region could trigger cascading effects on vegetation, biodiversity, and bee populations.

The lack of comprehensive studies and regulation around critical mineral mining’s impact on pollinators raises urgent questions about balancing global climate goals with local environmental protection. As the world rushes to secure materials for clean energy technologies, the Jequitinhonha Valley serves as a crucial case study for sustainable extraction practices.