Come to CATIE to celebrate World Bee Day: fair, exhibitions, and tips to conserve them

• CATIE is a pioneering institution in Costa Rica in creating an institutional policy on bee conservation  

CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) is preparing to commemorate World Bee Day on Monday, May 20th, in an event that highlights its commitment to the conservation of these pollinators and the promotion of their importance for ecosystems and sustainable agriculture.

The activities planned for World Bee Day at CATIE will include a series of events aimed at raising awareness about the importance of these insects.

In addition to relaunching the pioneering institutional policy in this field, there will be a fair with the sale of honey-derived products and other hive products, to promote their consumption and support local beekeepers.

Evelyn Chaves Jaen, specialist in the Unit of Environmental Economics and Sustainable Agribusiness at CATIE and part of the event organization, reaffirmed the importance of understanding bee behavior and how to prevent accidents related to their presence.  

The event will also feature the participation of experts who will share their knowledge about swarms and other information that strengthens CATIE's commitment to conservation and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.

The mini entrepreneurship fair will start at 10 a.m. in the main Henry Wallace building, while the celebration will be officially inaugurated at 1 p.m. by Dr. Luis Pocasangre Enamorado and the panel of specialists in the Ex-Directors' Hall.

Setting the example: institutional policy to protect bees

The celebration of this day holds special significance at CATIE, as in 2022 it adopted an institutional policy on bee conservation, being a pioneer in Costa Rica in this regard. This policy emerged in response to the need to protect these vital insects for biodiversity and food security.

"In 2015, we began collaborating on a project with beekeepers in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, which resulted in a greater understanding by our agribusiness team of the importance of bees. That's when we observed how swarms arrived here at CATIE and usually, the intervention of firefighters was required for their removal, often resulting in their elimination," commented the specialist.

Over time, techniques improved, learning to extract bees without causing harm, and thus CATIE, as an institution committed to the sustainable management of ecosystems, inspired them to establish a policy for the conservation of bees and other pollinators, with the aim of setting an example and promoting responsible practices in the community.

For Chaves, also a promoter of the policy, it has three fundamental objectives. Firstly, to promote education and awareness about the importance of bees. Secondly, to provide training to field workers to ensure their safety and proper handling in emergencies: and finally, to transfer that knowledge to the community at large.