Launching of the International Campaign “CooBEEration”

From the green heart of Italy the starts the awareness International Campaign on Beekeeping as Global Common Good

On the 2nd of October, the CooBEEration Campaign, an international awareness and information initiative on the value of the Beekeeping as Global Common Good, will begin; within the framework of the exhibition “Fa' la cosa giusta! - Umbria” (Do the right thing! - Umbria), regional edition of the first national exhibition on the responsible consumption and sustainable lifestyles.

CooBEEration Campaign fits into the activities of the “Mediterranean CooBEEration” project, financed by the European Union, promoted by FELCOS Umbria (Fund of Local Authorities for Decentralized Cooperation and Human Sustainable Development) in collaboration with APIMED (Mediterranean Beekeepers Association), UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), and with important research organisms such as DISFA (Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences of the University of Turin), DIPSA (Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Bologna) and INAT (Tunisia National Agronomic Institute).

The first to join the CooBEEration Campaign and to act as forerunner to the same are the Umbria region, ANCI Umbria (National Association of Italian Municipalities – Umbria) and the municipality of Foligno - as testimony of the territorial awareness, the green heart of Italy, matters on environment protection.

The objective of the Campaign is to promote Beekeeping as Global Common Good just like water and soil. In fact, not everyone is aware that bees are sentinels of the environment quality and guarantor of the biodiversity, of the survival of the 80% of the plant species and of our food security; as well as precious economic resource also for the developing countries. Nowadays, many bee species are at risk, mostly due to environment degradation; for this reason the Campaign calls on everyone – citizens, schools, territories, institutions at every level, farmers and beekeepers – in order to develop actions and virtuous behaviors in defence of bees and to preserve them for the future generations.

At the presentation press conference, that will be held at the Umbria region exhibition stand, the following pariticpants will be present:

Fernanda Cecchini, Assessor of the agricultural and agri-food politics of Umbria Region; Paolo Maurizio Talanti, President of the Board “Environment and Energy” of ANCI Umbria; Giovanni Patriarchi, Assessor for Economic Development of the Municipality of Foligno; Vincenzo Panettieri, APIMED President; Silvano Ricci, FELCOS Umbria President.

The CooBEEration Campaign web site will be soon on line at www.coobeeration.org

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