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On World Bee Day focus on young people

Today marks the fifth World Bee Day, declared by the UN General Assembly on Slovenia’s initiative on 20 December 2017. In this European Year of Youth, World Bee Day is dedicated to the future of beekeeping and the role of young people in raising awareness of its importance.

In the European Year of Youth, particular attention is given to knowledge transfer and raising young people’s awareness of the value of pollinators, their protection and learning beekeeping skills. For many years, Slovenia has been focusing on informing young people about the importance of bees and beekeeping, including by organising the traditional annual Slovenian breakfast in cooperation with partners in countries around the world. The objective is to raise the interest in beekeeping and beekeeping activities, especially among young people, also elsewhere in the world.

Bees and other pollinators provide one of the most important ecosystem services which are vital for sustaining natural and agricultural ecosystems, i.e. food production and biodiversity. In a video, young beekeepers from all over the world share their thoughts on the irreplaceable role of bees and emphasise their key role in reliable food production, connecting with nature and preserving life on Earth. Beekeeping is a source of inspiration to them, providing them relaxation and connections with other beekeepers.

The marking of World Bee Day is Slovenia’s important priority at home and abroad. Thereby, Slovenia strives to promote the importance of bees and wild pollinators, and also calls for intensified activities to preserve them.

Today, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has organised a special virtual event entitled "Bee Engaged: Celebrating the diversity of bees and beekeeping systems".