Bee Day, young beekeepers in Coldiretti Liguria on the front line to protect the sector

Liguria. “If the bee were to disappear from the face of the earth, man would have only four years left to liveTo say that, in “unshady” times, none other than Albert Einstein, the most important physicist of the twentieth century and the father of the famous theory of relativity, was. And as we can imagine, in the middle of the twentieth century, the German genius was not far from the truth.

Bee pose represents meAn indicator of the health status of the environment, as well as an alarm bell for any critical problems and difficulties faced by nature around us. It is also for this reason that the work of beekeepers is essential, today more than ever.

May 20 every year is bee dayEstablished by the United Nations in 2017 to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development. And pollinators, as is well known, are also fundamental for agriculture and for all the activities associated with it: consider that today, to some extent, 3 food crops out of 4 (about 75% of the total) depend on quality and quality, from pollination by bees. The data is at hand: on average, one bee visits about 7,000 flowers per day, but we must not forget that it takes four million explorations of flowers to produce one kilogram of honey. A job that generates economic value estimated at 153 billion euros annually on a global scale, 22 billion on a European scale and 3 billion on a national scale, according to Coldiretti estimates.

“the Decrease in local honey production Determined by climate change – explained Gianluca Boeri and Bruno Riverosa, President of Coldiretti Liguria and delegate of the CNT – unfortunately left room for imports from abroad, which in 2022 grew by + 12%. We are talking about a quantity of more than 26.5 million kg of products, also coming from countries that do not always shine in terms of transparency and food safety. Honey samples imported into the EU between 2021 and 2022 (that’s roughly 1 in 2) are suspected of being adulterated.” China had the highest number ever – Boeri and Rivarossa continue – (74%), with Turkey having the highest relative for suspicious samples (93%), while the UK had a higher suspicious sample rate (100%).” In the latter case, the problem arises because, most likely, it is honey produced in other countries and further blended before being sent back to Europe. “An alarming scenario – They insist – one can defend oneself against it by buying Italian honey, identifiable by the indications on the label, and so desired by Coldiretti”.

To support the cause linked to this anniversary and to raise public awareness of issues that are really essential for everyone, including the young Ligurians of Coldiretti – in particular Stefano Ceresito, owner of the homonymous farm in Serra Ricco, in the province of Genoa, and Giulia Montina, from the farm “Il Poggio del Nonno Piero In Cisano sul Neiva, on the plain of Albenga – personally mobilized, joining the campaign “God save the bees – fewer bees, less future” and bringing personalities from politics, culture, sports and entertainment.

Honey production varies greatly in Liguria today. in detail:

· the Acacia honey The average production is up to 14 kg / hive, with the beekeepers present mainly in the metropolitan area of ​​Genoa and in the province of Savona.

· the chestnut honey It has nectarine blooms in both the inland and coastal regions of the entire region, which has been damaged by high temperatures and persistent drought. For this reason, the last chestnut harvest saw yields between 6.5 kg/hive and 13 kg/hive. The best results are only found in some of the wetter areas, but unfortunately these are exceptions.

· the Heather honey She was particularly oppressed by the commission of a drought, which, unfortunately, did not allow for large productions. The exceptions are some products which fall into suitable and very limited areas, but which in any case are not more than 1-2 kg/cell.

· the Honeydewwhich was especially awaited in the province of Imperia, was unfortunately endangered by the high temperatures and the drought which for more than a year oppressed the western extremity of Liguria particularly

· the Wildflower honey, divided into spring and summer, has suffered fates not unlike those of other varieties. In the first case, with some very restricted exceptions, the production was mainly between 2 and 4 kg/cell, while in the second case, due to the heat and drought that affected the whole of Liguria since last June, the production was total. A lack of plant resources occurred for the bees, with the consequent need for emergency feeding intervention and, unfortunately, non-existent production.