World Bee Day was declared by the United Nations in New York on 20th December 2017, following a 2014 initiative by the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association and with great effort from the whole of Slovenia. The proposal received unanimous support from the global political community. The first celebration took place on 20th May 2018 in Žirovnica, the birthplace of Anton Janša—his birthday, which is now commemorated annually as World Bee Day. The purpose of this day is to protect bees and other pollinators.
As the initiator of World Bee Day, am I satisfied?
In terms of promotional efforts, I am more than satisfied — they have exceeded expectations. But when it comes to supporting beekeepers and protecting consumers, I am certainly not!
Unfortunately, the world is barely—if at all—aware that bees can no longer survive without the help of beekeepers. Without bees and other pollinators, there would be even more hungry people in the world.
That is why it is high time to support beekeepers. Beekeepers are losing the motivation to continue, and if they begin to abandon beekeeping, we are facing an imminent catastrophe. There will simply be fewer bees each year, and with their decline, the free pollination service they provide will also disappear — something that will have a grave impact on food production. So, Europe — it’s now or never!
This concerns bees, beekeepers, and consumers alike.
Firstly, fake, counterfeit honey must be immediately removed from the market. It is essential that Europe adopts concrete measures to support beekeepers and protect consumers before the end of this year. Until long-term measures are in place, Europe should, in the meantime, ban the import of honey from countries most associated with counterfeit products.
Control of honey must be guaranteed at all entry points into Europe. Such counterfeit honey must never reach store shelves. This is critical to protect consumers, who deserve to enjoy real honey — honey that supports health — not “fake” honey, which can even pose a risk to health.
Europe must also urgently and immediately implement direct payments per beehive, via agricultural and environmental measures, as compensation for the essential free pollination service that bees provide. This year alone, approximately 50% of bee colonies in Europe perished over the winter. Without immediate financial support for hive management, we are heading towards disaster — both in terms of food production and the preservation of biodiversity.
Honey can be imported (even fake honey), but pollination cannot be imported.
On this year’s World Bee Day, I call for the clear and decisive protection of consumers and meaningful support for beekeepers. Europeans should not be consuming products falsely labelled as honey. Let us not forget:
“A spoonful of real honey a day keeps the doctor away!”
There is no food security in Europe without bees. Immediate support for beekeepers is essential to preserve bees and, with them, the irreplaceable pollination service they provide.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to all beekeepers who continue their work during these challenging times — for caring for their bees, producing high-quality bee products, maintaining pollination, and thereby supporting the production of over one-third of the world’s food.
Special thanks also go to those who help beekeepers by planting nectar-producing plants, using harmful plant protection products (FFS) only when absolutely necessary and in the correct way, and by choosing to buy bee products from local beekeepers. This ensures access to the best quality products that truly benefit your health.
Let us all be aware that the central figure in all of this is the bee.
The bee, we say — and we say it again — the bee!
Without the bee, there are no bee products.
Without the bee, there is no pollination.
Without the bee, there is no food production.
And — unfortunately — without beekeepers, there will be no bees.
Boštjan Noč
President of the European Beekeeping Association
President of the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association
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