Climate change, extreme heat, drought, and fires, along with the usual parasites and pesticides, are decimating bees in Sardinia. Approximately 80 million insects were lost last summer alone. This is the great plight of beekeeping on the island, a sector that employs over 200 farmers and has been clamoring for years to be recognized as a strategic sector: "We demand that beekeeping be considered for what it truly is: not just an agricultural activity, but a strategic element for the balance of ecosystems, biodiversity, and the entire regional agricultural production system , through the essential pollination service provided by bees," explains Davide Brisi, president of ApiPro Sardegna, which represents half of Sardinia's professional beekeepers.
The intense heat is becoming a real disaster for bees: the wax in their combs melts, nests are compromised, and entire colonies die. With temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius, bees try to defend their hives, transporting water from the source to their colony, but they die along the way. In addition to honey, bees are the main pollinating insects, ensuring the reproduction of approximately 75% of plant species and contributing to a large portion of global food production. They also participate in ecosystem conservation and production, ensuring biodiversity and agricultural productivity. When a colony dies, "the damage isn't just to the beekeeper, who loses production and income; it also affects the essential agricultural service ," Brisi continues. "Despite the fact that we've been denouncing a situation of growing difficulty for Sardinian beekeeping for years, the resources deployed by the Region still appear completely inadequate."
The Rural Development Program (PSR) 2023-2027, through measure ACA18, earmarked for the beekeeping sector, provides a total allocation of €2 million over five years. This measure has not yet been implemented. Of the total allocation, the Region's actual share is approximately 17%, €340,000 over the entire five-year period, corresponding to approximately €68,000 per year. production crises, climate change, extreme events, loss of blooms, fires, the spread of parasites and predators, rising production costs, and growing pressure from cheap imported honey," adds the president.
