Honey Nut Cheerios Bee Goes Missing...

By Ashlee Kieler

Consumerist / March 9, 2017

...to highlight vanishing bee colonies

If you were to go down your cereal aisle and see all the cartoon bees on the boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios replaced with white voids in an effort to highlight the problem with the decreasing bee population, you might think it was some sort of protest art project instead of a campaign being run by one of the world’s largest packaged food companies.

The Twin Cities Business Journal reports that General Mills has launched a “Bring Back The Bees” campaign by debuting Honey Nut Cheerios boxes with a blank space where BuzzBee, its famous cartoon mascot, would normally be.

BuzzBee’s break from cereal mascot duties — while only temporary — is the company’s way of raising awareness for pollinators, a crucial aspect of agriculture.

Vanishing bee colonies, and the subsequent effect on pollination, isn’t just an ecological matter. Bees — not just the cartoon ones — are vital for General Mills’ business. The company says that 30% of the ingredients used in its products rely on pollination.

As part of its campaign, General Mills is also asking customers to plant over 100 million wildflowers this year. To do so, the company has set up a website where people can order seeds for free and learn about pollination issues.

The Business Journal reports that a similar effort was launched by General Mills in Canada last year.

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#bringbackthebees 

General Mills site: http://www.cheerios.com/bringbackthebees/form

Buzz and his friends need our help. General Mills is pledging to give away 100 million wildflower seeds, in partnership with Veseys Seeds, to get the movement started. 
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Buzz takes a break from Cheerios box 
to highlight bees' plight
Nick Williams / Staff reporterMinneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal / March 9, 2017
General Mills Inc. is making a public statement about the environment through one of its most notable cereal brands.

Just for the spring, the Golden Valley-based maker of cereal and snacks will show 'BuzzBee", the iconic character on the company's Honey Nut Cheerios cereal box, as missing to raise awareness about the dwindling population of bees, which as pollinators are crucial to agriculture.