In the framework of the initiative of the Swedish Institute “Food For Tomorrow” in Belgrade, the Bee Connected Project was presented, which through practical steps promotes the importance of bees for the food production system and environmental protection through social entrepreneurship. At the residence of the ambassador of Sweden, there were words about how many bees can affect our lives, and how each citizen can help bees to conserve biodiversity.
“The Swedish Institute and the Swedish Embassy want to work with Serbia on food projects, including the Food for Tomorrow initiative and the Bee Connected project. Food is some red thread for a wide range of cooperation between Serbia and Sweden. Apart from Raspberries, which are the main export product for Sweden, there is a great potential here that is unused so far, and we will be working on it. I consider that there are numerous possibilities of cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises of our two countries in the food sector, “said Ambassador of Sweden H.E. Jan Lundin.
The initiators of the BeeConnected project are environmental organisation Ekonaut, design incubator Nova Iskra and Happy Honey company. In cooperation with the Swedish Embassy, the project was presented to related organisations, socially responsible companies and individuals. BeeConnected through its activities to the principles of social entrepreneurship works on concrete steps that contribute to raising awareness about the importance of bees for the food production system, biodiversity and environmental protection.
“In 2019, we intend to bring together socially responsible companies, organisations and individuals who understand how important it is to restore nature to the city. We intend to contribute to the regeneration and enrichment of the local ecosystem of Belgrade and its surroundings through the practical upgrading of urban honeybees and green areas with plants that feed and attract bees,” said Sabina Kerić from environmental organisation Ekonaut.
The BeeConnected project, part of the Swedish Food for Tomorrow initiative, aims to include and inform the general public about problems faced by globally and locally bees and other insect pollinators. Protecting bees, protecting local biodiversity, the environment and our health, which depends on access to a variety of nutrition. Of the hundreds of the most used plants in human nutrition, bees pollinate 70 of them, which means that two-thirds of our diet depends on bees.
During the 2019 season, BeeConnected will train unemployed people through practical work with experienced beekeepers, so that the unemployed can master the skills required and become beekeepers. The “Food for Tomorrow” initiative deals with the networking of organisations, individuals and groups dealing with the concept of “green food” and who are interested in the sustainability of the food system at different levels.
