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World Bee Day: NordGen Supports Beekeepers in Their Conservation Work

Date: 2021.05.20

Today, on World Bee Day, we wish to highlight the importance of safeguarding our pollinators. Beekeeper Nora Mäntysaari talks about conserving the Nordic brown bee and how she has created a market for her products. Her approach is very much in line with NordGen’s conservation work.

The brown bee, Apis mellifera mellifera, is a bee originating from the Nordic region. The Nordic brown or black bee is the honey bee that originally comes from the Nordic countries. For hundreds of years, it has adapted to our Nordic climate and continues to fly at lower temperatures than other breeds. But the Nordic bee is threatened with extinction. In cooperation with experts from the Nordic Countries, the status of the bee has been summarised and a conservation plan has been published. The conservation plan has thereafter been released in a second version with recommendations.

Creating Awareness

Among other things, the conservation plan emphasizes the importance of creating awareness about the brown bee and in that way a greater demand for their unique products.

“It is important that the public knows that there are landrace bees, because they are an important part of our cultural heritage and can carry characteristics that may be needed in the future. Beekeepers are valuable in conservation work and without them we simply do not have any bees. In addition, beekeepers are ambassadors and can help reach out with the message about the importance of preserving our bees”, said NordGen’s Senior Scientist Maria Kjetså.

Typical to the brown bee is their will to climb ontop of one another and form piles. Image: Barbara Kaucher / Artitus projec

The Story Behind

One of the best ways to conserve genetic resources is to use them. Additional work is often required to convey this to consumers, and therefore NordGen has developed a brochure that beekeepers can attach to their products. The brochure provides consumers with information about both the product and the history of the Nordic brown bee that produced it.

“It is good if consumers choose to buy honey collected by the Nordic brown bee. Increased demand facilitates conservation work and we hope that our brochure will help the beekeepers to covey their message” said Kjetså.

Nora Mäntysaari farms bees at Qvidja pilot farm. Image: Barbara Kaucher / Artitus projec

Beekeeping at a Pilot Farm

Nora Mäntysaari grows bees in Finnish Pargas, at Qvidja pilot farm in the Åboland archipelago. She is actively involved in preserving the Nordic brown bee, and has found a market for her niched honey products. On Mäntysaari’s webpage and on her social channels she tells the story behind her products and the work she does conserving the the endangered breed.

“One of the most important insights I have had when it comes to bees is that there are more than one type of bees. As I started beekeeping, I was determined to have landrace bees. I wish to do my part in preserving the breed, said Mäntysaari.”

Honey With Unique Properties

It is difficult to produce monofloral honey because, as its name suggests, it is collected by bees that get their nectar from only one kind of flower. Studies have shown that the brown bee collects honey from scattered sources and prefers wild plants. Therefore, the Nordic brown bee is good at collecting monofloral honey.

Using the unique properties of the brown bee, Mäntysaari has experimented with collecting honey from heather. The unique properties of her products are not only appreciated by conscious Finns. The products are exported to Switzerland, among other places.

– I care very much that those who buy my products and hope they find out the story behind the honey. I think the brochure that NordGen has created is very useful for beekeepers. It is very attractive and tells the story of the bee in a captivating way. I would definitely use it!

Are you a beekeeper and want to use the brochure?

The brochure is available in four different languages and is available to those who grow the brown bee. Contact NordGen

Do you wish to know more about the Nordic brown bee?

Brown Bee Wiki is a platform where beekeepers and other interested parties can share information about the bee breed.