News - Bees - Slow Food International

Beekeeping: A Terra Madre “How it’s Made” Preview

6 August 2020

Beekeepers are influenced by the health of their bees and climate conditions. They are like herders who live with their herd, following them in search fo new pastures and blooms. Lorenzo De Laugier is the protagonist of a HOW IT’S MADE, a new format for Terra Madre Salone Del Gusto 2020 dedicated to jobs related to food, …

The Protection of Pollinators in the EU Likely to Be Jeopardized

17 July 2020 Indre Anskaityte

On July 16 and 17, a standing committee meeting on phytopharmaceutical products has gathered in Brussels to decide on the future of the so-called EFSA Bee Guidance Document, which is intended to protect honeybees, bumblebees and wild bees against the toxicity of pesticides. Leaked documents obtained by Pesticide Action Network – PAN Europe, indicate that …

Wenchi Volcano Honey, a Project of Preservation

9 July 2020

A few hours west of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, the road begins to climb up between pastures and fields of grains and ensete – a tree similar to the banana tree, whose leaves and roots are used widely as an intricate part of the Ethiopian diet. After a while, it reaches the magnificent landscape of Wenchi, …

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 …

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 …

The Secrets of Beekeeping

21 April 2020 Indre Anskaityte

Jennifer Holmes started her beekeeping journey with a book called “Beekeeping for Dummies,” today she is a beekeeper in Stuart, Florida, and owns and operates Hani Honey Company together with her family. Jennifer is a UFIFAS Master Beekeeper and Honey Judge. She enjoys serving on her Local Slow Food Chapter Board, Slow Bees Community, and …

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, …

Dave Goulson: “Financially Vulnerable People Will not be Able to Afford Healthy Diets if the Pollinators Continue to Follow the Current Extinction Rate”

7 April 2020 Indre Anskaityte

Bees and other pollinators are essential for our livelihoods. 90% of the globally produced food relies on bee-pollination. Without pollinators, our diet would be poor, based on rice, grain, maize, and only very few fruits and vegetables. However, for the past few decades, we have been witnessing a violent loss of wild pollinators and the …

European Civil Society Groups Urge the EU Commission to #SaveBeesandFarmers

31 March 2020 Indre Anskaityte

Slow Food, along with more than 80 civil society organizations in a joint letter to the European Commission, asks to phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035, restore biodiversity, and support farmers in their transition towards agroecology. The letter has been sent to the Commission’s directorate-generals, responsible for the implementation of the Farm to Fork and …