There is a bright new alliance in the world of honey and honeybees. The National Honey Board in conjunction with Project Apis m. celebrated National Honey Bee Day by launching the new website Bee Health Collective. Partners in this undertaking include the US Department of Agriculture, Almond Board of California and the Bee Informed Partnership.
National Honey Bee Day, celebrated on Saturday, August 15, 2020, was established 11 years ago by enthusiastic beekeepers who wanted to bring awareness to the public about the benefits and environmental needs of honey bees (Apis mellifera).
The Bee Health Collective website will feature:
Databases: scientific research projects since 2009 and US researchers working on bee-related science;
Bee Health Metrics: topics like honeybee health, beekeeping, honey and pollination will be presented in the form of images, infographics and narratives;
Bee Bulletin Board: funding opportunities, bee-related jobs including grants, scholarships, bee research and beekeeping.
Margaret Lombard, National Honey Board CEO, said, “By joining together as a community, we have the ability to make a real impact on the accessibility of data about the health and sustainability of honey bees and their impacts on the nation’s food supply.”
Danielle Downey, executive director for Project Apis m., added, “This new resource is so exciting because we now have current and accurate information readily available to scientists and the industry to use. It furthers our mission of protecting the health of honey bees while improving crop production.”
This 3:47-minute video was made by Project Apis m. several years ago, about 'Seeds for Bees'...
You can learn more about the new collaborative effort, Bee Health Collective, by clicking here.
National Honey Board is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that educates the population about the benefits and uses of honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs. The ten-member-Board is appointed by the US Secretary of Agriculture, and represents beekeepers, packers, importers and a marketing cooperative. The Board’s work is designed to increase the awareness of consumers, the foodservice industry and food manufacturers, so they will use more honey. The Board’s work is funded by an assessment on domestic and imported honey.
Project Apis m. (PAm) Since 2006, they have been the go-to organization at the interface of honey bees and pollinated crops. They have infused over $8.5 million into honey bee health research and $2.9 million into forage programs. This has resulted in better pollination and increased crop yields for growers. Fewer hives have been lost and honey production has improved for beekeepers. They work closely with commercial beekeepers, growers and top bee scientists in the USA and Canada to fund projects and direct strategic efforts that focus on practical solutions. PAm offers graduate scholarships to encourage careers in pursuit of science-based solutions to honey bee challenges, funds studies, and expands efforts to put forage on the landscape where bees most need it. Project Apis m. is a non-profit 501 (c) (5) organization governed by an eleven-member board of stakeholders representing major national and state industry organizations. There is also an additional seven-member Science Advisory.