To acknowledge innovative & practical ideas to protect pollinators in European farming, the European Bee Award, established by the European Landowners’ Organization (ELO) and the European Agricultural Machinery Industry Association (CEMA), was handed over last night to this year’s winners:
• "A bee project for solitary bees" by the Belgian material solution company Sibelco, as part as its Biodiversity and European Species protection programme, is the winner of the “land management practices” award; while
• "Dropleg: Application of Plant Protection Products below the flowering level in rapeseed" presented by the specialised nozzles company Lechler GmbH receives the “innovative & technological solutions” prize.
Moreover, a "Friend of pollinators" award has been bestowed to Mr. Marek Nowakowski for his contribution to the protection of pollinators as a private individual, and a special mention was granted to “Terras de Mondalva” for an integrated beekeeping project for rural development in Portugal.
Franc Bogovič MEP, Member of the Jury, stresses “the European Bee Award adds the necessary recognition to very valuable projects which year-on-year show there is a shared commitment to protecting pollinators in European agriculture”.
Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society congratulated the initiative “Events such as the European Bee Award are very important for the promotion of the protection of bee health. It is crucial that we maintain bee-health and the interests of the beekeeping sector on the top of the political agenda, at all levels, as well as to promote initiatives and projects, which allow awareness-raising for policy-makers and citizens, and to be proactive in addressing the challenges of the beekeeping sector”.
Thierry de l’Escaille, Secretary General of ELO: “there has been fierce competition for the Prize, making it difficult to choose a winner. Yet the high number and quality of projects submitted is a great tribute to the dedicated efforts that are being made across Europe to halt bee decline and enhance biodiversity.”
On behalf of CEMA Gilles Dryancour, Honorary President, welcomed the contribution of the farm equipment industry to develop cutting-edge spraying technology that improves in parallel farming activities and the protection of pollinators’ populations, as showcased by the Dropleg project.
In 2017, the European Bee Award competition received 18 applications from 11 different European countries. Last night’s award ceremony gathered over 100 participants: bee-keepers, policy makers, landowners, academia and representatives of the agri-food sector exchanged best practices, while enjoying a festive networking evening celebrating bees and biodiversity.
