The new acaricide kills the varroa mites that plague bees and have contributed to the global collapse of hives.

A collective of Argentine scientists and #beekeepers have developed an organic acaricide (a #pesticide for arachnids and mites) to combat the #varroa destructor mites that have been plaguing bee colonies around the globe, a product that is now solicited by countries throughout the world. That’s right, Argentina is saving the bees and thus crops and thus the planet.

You may be aware that in the last decade, bees have been afflicted by mysterious mass disappearances on a global scale. Termed “colony collapse disorder,” (CCD) the abandonment of their hives has left scientists and bee keepers alike both befuddled and concerned. It is estimated that 30 percent of bees disappear from hives every winter, while almost 10 million hives collapsed between 2006 and 2013. This is bad because global crop production is reliant on #pollination. And while the exact causes of CCD remain unknown, it has been established that the varroa destructor mite poses one of the greatest threats.

The new acaricide, developed by a collective of scientists, veterinarians, agronomists, biochemists and beekeepers who joined forces in 2010, is Aluen CAP and hit the market last month. It is landmark not only for the cooperative strategy of its development but also because currently 98 percent of the acaricides used in are synthetic. According to research, non-organic pesticide have contributed to the death of bees and weakened their natural ability to fight off the mites.

Another cool tidbit to this story is the fact that this Argentine collective decided against selling the formula to multinational labs, despite being being offered pretty handsome sums. “Our objective was to solve a problem, not make a business out of it,” Elián Tourn, a member of the group, explained.

This marks the latest in a series of global efforts to fight the mysterious flight of the bees. Both the United States and the European Union have enacted bans of pesticides that harm the hives. There have also been small efforts to conserve swaths of land to prevent habitat loss.

Argentina is the second biggest honey producer in the world.