A moment of discussion on beekeeping: “because there is an emergency”, this is the message that the Collective of Lorraine bees on the initiative of an information day for professionals, individuals, associations, elected representatives … The day is set for 1is next October, from 9:30 to 16, at the Espace Jacques-Prévert in Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy. A tool for reflection, the Collectif Abeilles Lorraine was born two years ago, in the midst of the Covid crisis.
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Artisanal and intensive production
This meeting is also supported by the APICOOL association, which is ten years older. The event has no other purpose than to bring together around the same table those who are now wondering about beekeeping; those who are experimenting with new practices, supported by more naturalistic approaches to this activity.
Why beekeeping has changed. Also terribly changed, taking on various forms, where there are amateur beekeepers, owners of a few hives, and professional producers, who exploit several hundred islets. “A reality that is not without many questions”, indicates Karine Devot, pivot of the event. “There is a lot of talk about hives and domestic species, which are only a small part of the bee world. Our ambition is to promote and protect wild bees too, which in some cases can bear the brunt of intensive beekeeping. In the case of high concentrations of hives, for example, the question of the floral resource arises.
If the honey bee can be artificially fed, and even then, the absence or insufficiency of “adequate” flowers is an obstacle to the natural and lasting conservation of all other species. This phenomenon is all the more alarming as floral resources are decreasing ”.
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Emerging alternative practices
However, there are solutions, which have proven their worth. These are alternative and emerging beekeeping practices. «In the Cévennes, for example», continues Karine Devot, «we experiment with the collective management of hives. The layouts are intelligently thought out and positioned. Some beekeepers are also increasingly turning to practices that exclude any form of treatment, in particular the cessation of widespread acaricides, or that favor this or that endangered species “. Songs that will be presented and explored on 1is next October. Knowing that the struggle, the real struggle, remains that of the restoration of the landscape.
“Which beekeeping for our territory? »Testimonials and discussions. Saturday 1 October – Espace Jacques-Prévert – Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy. Registration (mandatory) and information: [email protected] or telephone 06 03 56 68 90.
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