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Monday, May 21st, 2018

Slovenia, a land with beekeeping in its genes

Author:     Bojan Kavcic
Source:     phys.org
Publication Date:     May 19, 2018
 Link: Slovenia, a land with beekeeping in its genes
Stephan:   There have been so many truly awful stories about the situation of bees, that I am happy to report this good news. Slovenia shows how a nation can live happily with bees, to the benefit of both. These little beings are essential to successful agriculture, and ecological wellbeing, one of whose attributes is having enough to eat. Bees are a leverage point that can powerfully influence a nation's wellbeing. It is my personal view that beekeepers should be part of the forestry service, and that communities should regulate toxins and maintain beekeeping as a community activity, with skilled government employees managing the hives, without having to make profit a consideration. Although, in fact, I believe the honey and wax from those hives would actually make the service self-funded and  profitable.

Beekeeping is a cherished national tradition in Slovenia, which has led the way in raising awareness of the plight of bees
Credit: phys.org

It was a Slovene who wrote the world’s first modern beekeeping manual.

And Slovenia has gone on to lead the way in raising awareness of the plight of bees, as concern has grown over the health of the world’s  in recent years.

Beekeeping is a cherished national tradition in Slovenia, with colourful beehives to be found dotted throughout fields, on the edge of forests, in gardens and on city rooftops.

The bee can be spotted as a symbol of industriousness above the doorways of banks and museums, and now even on a special two-euro coin issued by the country’s central bank to mark the first World Bee Day on Sunday, an initiative launched by Slovenia and backed by the United Nations.

“Once you start keeping bees, it’s like an addiction,” Bostjan Noc, head of the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association tells AFP, adding that his family boasts several generations of apiarists.

“We have beekeeping […]

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