Great success for the National Beekeeping Forum of Algeria, organized by FELCOS Umbria ( Fund of Local Authorities for secentralized Cooperation and for Sustainable human development) and APIMED (Mediterranean Beekeepers Federation) in Algiers on January 27 and 28, which was concluded with a trip to rediscover the Saharan bees in the interior of the country.

The Forum is part of a larger project, funded by the European Union and called "Mediterranean CooBEEration: a network for beekeeping, biodiversity and food security", promoted by FELCOS Umbria in collaboration with APIMED, the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) ART Initiative, DIPSA (Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences and Technology of the University of Bologna), DIFASA (Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences of the University of Turin) and INAT (National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia).

The debate of the Forum, which closely affects also the producers in our region, focused on the defense against market aggression and new agro technologies to preserve an ancient but very relevant activity in the environment and biological diversity protection: beekeeping.

 Vincenzo Panettieri, President of APIMED and APAU (Association of Umbrian Beekeepers), explained that “this time the CooBEEration tour has highlighted the willingness of Algerians beekeepers to get closer to Europe and open up to the international markets of honey and apicultural products”.

The issues of market and economy, quality and production, rules and controls, enhancement and promotion have been approached from the local to the international level.

The presence of FAO and UNDP representatives, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, who sponsored the event, and the Algerian Republic Departments of Agriculture, emphasized the international value of this initiative, confirming the great interest that beekeeping raises in the framework of sustainable development and activities.

Lucia Maddoli, coordinator of the "Mediterranean CooBEEration” project, concluded by stressing the importance of cooperation actions: "This mission is part of a larger project whose aim is to understand the value of beekeeping as a common good and be aware that bees are in danger and, therefore, it is necessary to cooperate at all levels by bringing together many different actors for a single purpose: the protection of beekeeping”.

The Forum also provided the opportunity to present the CooBEEration Campaign, an international campaign aimed to raise awareness and give information about the value of Beekeeping as a Common Good, promoted by FELCOS Umbria and APIMED in collaboration with the project partners.

The next Mediterranean Beekeeping Forum events will take place in Palestine and Morocco.