"Queen Rearing: Utilisation, Rescue and Genetic Improvement of Bees in the Region of Evia” Programme

Acting as a catalyst for innovation in the agri-food ecosystem of the country, the organisation “New Agriculture New Generation” aims to create employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people in the agri-food sector, with the ultimate goal of revitalising and developing the primary production sector. With the ecological disaster that occurred in Evia due to the wildfires of 2021 in mind, and with the support, among others, of the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, the training and consultancy programme “Queen Rearing: Utilisation, Rescue and Genetic Improvement of Bees in the Region of Evia” was implemented in 2023; an initiative that seeks to transform the beekeeping landscape and support beekeeping communities across Greece. The Programme, implemented under the scientific guidance of a team of professors from the Agricultural University of Athens, aimed to produce high-quality and more resilient bee colonies through the optimisation of endemic genetic material, the development of a specialised professional activity that would offer new employment opportunities for beekeepers, and the enhancement of the biodiversity of the region. Being a unique practice at a European level, the Programme included two implementation phases: a) the training of queen beekeepers on proper beekeeping practices, the cell vaccination procedure in the field, the current legislative framework and the impact of climate change on beekeeping activity, and b) the implementation of vaccinations in the beehives of the beneficiaries-professionals in Evia, who also participated in experiential demonstrations and became familiar with modern techniques for producing quality queen bees.

• 130 beekeepers from Evia were supported through the Programme, with each of them receiving up to 30 royal cells.
• 13 beekeepers participated in trainings totalling 111 hours.
• 3,900 royal cells of endemic genetic material were delivered as part of the Programme.

“Through the Queen Rearing Programme I was able to connect in a meaningful and constructive way with the beekeepers in my area, and together we all became more effective in our work, taking advantage of the specialised training offered to us through the Programme. I am very proud of the colleagues who embraced this innovative effort and I hope it will serve as an example to be applied universally in Greece.”

Georgia Passa

Professional Beekeeper

Beneficiary of Phase A of the Programme