Danish Beekeeping. Structure History Challenges

Transcription

1 Danish Beekeeping. Structure History Challenges

2 Denmark versus Estonia Both countries are approximately km2 Exploitation of the land has opposite ratio: Denmark: Estonia: 65% farmland. 20% cities, houses and roads 15% nature and forests 60% nature and forests Number of beekeepers: Denmark 6500 Estonia 5500 Number of colonies Denmark: Estonia:

3 Organisation of beekeepers in Denmark Danish Beekeepers Association: 5700 members Danish Queenbreeders Assoc.: Professional Beekeepers Assoc.: Beekeepers National Union: Unorganized beekeepers:

4 Structural history Danish Beekeepers Association (DBA) members * 150 years old, and the main organisation in Denmark. * Staff of 5 persons. Danish Beekeepers Union 350 members * Off peeling, from the DBA, in late 70 due to disagreement on the use of EU subsidies. * Now a cheap alternative to DBA, but with no instrumental power. * No staff. Professional Beekeepers Association members * Originally a group of pro s inside the DBA, nowadays a very narrow focused association, who runs some courses purely on EU-money. * To small, and weak, to have any kind of paid staff. * Strategies are, to a great extend, affected by personal relations. * No EU-money no activities.

5 Challenges? Yes!! Climatic changes New pests Import honey / honey forgery Subsidised beekeeping Beekeepers skills and cooperation Impowerishment of the landscape Agricultural chemicals

6 Climate changes Is a fact already! We will simply have to cope with it. Suitable vehicles Well placed apiaries. Adapt our strategies - instead of waiting for the normal weather to come back.

7 New pests Smaller Hive Bettle will much probably not turn into a problem Tropilaelaps Mite Needs constant brood. Succeptible to organic acids. No problem All the creatures that we still haven t realised as a threat. Run a responsible beekeeping!!

8 Import Honey & Honey forgery We all want to live in a free market. Import is not the problem - Labelling is the problem!! The Nordic countries (incl. Estonia) is high value markets. Focus on high quality and export. Chinese honey That s a problem!!! Forgery supported by the state. Analysis v Forgery competition. Solution: Constant analysing Labelling with true origin

9 Subsidised Beekeeping At first hand appealing but Production will adapt to the subsidies. Subsidies will most often capitalize it self, and give increased administration. This will, in the end, make the profession more vulnerable to change of focus. Subsidies can be used successfully to kick-start a new branch - or a region. The same amount of money will have much higher effect on the profession, if pooled for joint projects

10 The beekeepers skills and cooperation Most professional beekeepers are very skilled, when it comes to taking care of the bees but, more or less, blind when it comes to economy and management. Self education is NOT enough!!! Paying for skilled support, is often good business at the end of the day. Form informal cooperative groups (based on mutual trust) for exchange of knowledge and joint trade. Don t mix Farmers -associations with Trade-focused organisations Immediate profit will overshadow the long term Knowledge -work of the association part.

11 Impowrishment of the landscape

12 Agricultural Chemicals Legaslation is outdated. The old agents was istantly poisonous to the bees.. New agents are sneakers Long term (and combined) effects are lethal to the colonies. Increasingly industrialised farming makes everything worse. Increasingly invironmental focus might help us in the end.