GWANGJU, June 16 (Korea Bizwire) — The Toechon Tomato Festival, which is one of the prominent festivals in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, made a comeback after a four-year hiatus.
Spanning three days from Friday to Saturday, the festival offers unique attractions such as a captivating tomato juice making performance, an engaging tomato pot making experience, a delightful tomato pool for children, and a playful zone featuring a tin can train.
Toechon has gained fame for its exquisite tomatoes, with credit owed to the diligent bumblebee. Bumblebees, renowned pollinators that excel at fertilizing pollen, have been invaluable allies for tomato farmers due to their environmentally friendly approach to natural fertilization.
Unlike conventional farming methods that rely on the application of hormones to individual flowers, bumblebees play a crucial role in eco-friendly farming by naturally transferring pollen between tomato flowers, thereby reducing the need for excessive labor and pesticides. Notably, bumblebees exhibit remarkable survival skills in cold weather and effectively carry pollen on their furry bodies.
It is no exaggeration to attribute the annual harvest of 2,000 tons of tomatoes in the Toechon area and the grandeur of the tomato festival to the diligent work of these remarkable bumblebees. However, the escalating threat of climate change poses a significant challenge to their existence.
Bumblebees, covered in fur and predominantly inhabiting temperate to boreal regions, are compelled to migrate to higher altitudes as temperatures rise. Unfortunately, their essential food source, flowers, is becoming increasingly scarce, leading to the gradual disappearance of their natural habitats.
In light of these circumstances, a surprising message was conveyed through an Instagram post by renowned Hollywood actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio. In early February, DiCaprio shared a photo of a bumblebee on his Instagram along with a caption emphasizing the unexpected risk of extinction that these remarkable creatures face due to the climate crisis.
Image credit: Yonhap, Pixabay, Jangsu County Office / photonews@koreabizwire.com
