european citizens initiative - Slow Food International

Slow Food and “Save Bees and Farmers” meet with European Commissioners

28 November 2022

On November 25, the European Citizens Initiative (ECI) “Save Bees and Farmers” entered a new stage, as its representatives, Slow Food included, were received by European Commissioners Věra Jourová (Values and Transparency) and Stella Kyriakides (Health and Food Safety), to formally present their demands backed by over 1,1 million EU citizens: 1 A phase-out of …

ECI “End the Cage Age” Ranks the Best and the Worst EU Members & the UK in Cage-Free Animal Farming

19 August 2020

The European Citizens’ Initiative “End the Cage Age” has collected data from all 27 EU Member States and the UK to rate them based on the percentage of cage-free farmed animals in each country. Whilst some EU countries such as Sweden, Luxembourg, Austria, and Germany have more than 85 percent cage-free farming, in reality, this …

A Young Beekeeper from Sicily: about the bee life, different types of honey and pesticides

3 June 2020 Indre Anskaityte

Claudia Cavaliere is a young beekeeper from Sicily, Italy. Her family has a small farm, where they grow vegetables and keep some animals, while Claudia focuses on beekeeping. She is part of the Sicilian Black bee presidia. Claudia recently joined the SFYN Instagram live and shared her experience of beekeeping. You can watch the full …

Ecological transition in agriculture is the only way to save bees

27 May 2020 Francesco Sottile

For some months now we have only heard of the ecosystem, the need to take care of it, the opportunity we have to change the way we operate. The emergency we are experiencing today, with human losses that have distorted the lives of many of us, asks us to look at the ecosystem in a …

Preserving Ancient Beekeeping Traditions in Mexico

23 May 2020

Long before Europeans brought honey bees to the Americas, Mayan beekeepers harvested honey from the log nests of stingless bees native to tropical forests. Mayans were experts of beekeeping and used honey as a sweetener, as an antibiotic, as an ingredient in the Mayan version of mead, and as a commercial currency. The Yucatan peninsula in …

#BeeFriend: 10 Small Things You Can Do to Save the Bees

18 May 2020

Walking in the heights and plateaus of Barbagia is a privilege I benefit with sincere gratitude. And if everywhere spring sweetens even the blackest days, here in central Sardinia, I assure you, it is an enchantment. A dip in the heart of the land: the buzz of bees and bumblebees comes to me clearly and …

European Civil Society Rises to Protect Public Health and Environment from Pesticides

5 May 2020

While EU Member States struggle with the Covid-19 crisis, agribusiness is taking advantage of the situation by acting to significantly water-down von der Leyen’s European Green Deal. The European civil society, gathered under the Save Bees and Farmers European Citizens’ Initiative, asks the European Commission to maintain ambitious objectives to protect peoples’ health, the environment …

Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, Concerns About EU’s Animal Welfare Standards Arise

22 April 2020 Indre Anskaityte

A few dozen members of the European Parliament have joined several non-governmental organizations calling for a ban on live animal transport during the COVID-19 pandemic. Civil society groups argue that the reintroduced border controls have increased delays, which cause unnecessary stress for animals and heightens the risk for diseases. The EU regulations require that …

From land evictions to intensive agriculture: the struggle to reconnect Ogiek beekeepers to the Mau forest environment

14 April 2020

Beekeeping has been traditionally part of the economy, culture, and identity of many rural communities living in sub-Saharan Africa.  The diversity of ecosystems that characterize the Kenyan territory lend themselves particularly well to beekeeping activities. From the arid areas of the northern part of Kenya to the montane forests in the center of the country, …

How Can the European Citizens’ Initiative Help #SaveBeesandFarmers?

17 March 2020

Why does the European Citizens’ Initiative Matter? There have been several petitions supporting bees launched in the past; however, the European Citizens’ Initiative “Save Bees and Farmers” differs from the others. The European Citizens’ Initiative is the only direct democracy tool designed for Europeans to influence the EU decision-making process. Although it has its flaws, it is …