The International Beekeeping Congress was held in Bangalore, India from November 13-18, 2005. The Century Foundation organized the said congress in association with Bangalore University and the Food and Agricultural Organization ( FAO) of the United Nations, Rome, Italy and Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of Karnataka supported the event. Beekeepers and Bee Scientists from across the globe participated and presented their findings in the filed of apiculture and its related areas.
As we are aware that Beekeeping is now established and developed as a profitable agro- forest based industry providing basic employment, supplementary income and nutritious food to a large rural population besides enhancing crop productivity through pollination. In view of the availability of vast honey potentials, there is tremendous scope for further expansion, extension and diversification of beekeeping in Asian and other developing countries for sustainable livelihoods.
Beekeeping plays a crucial role in the present context of commercialization of agriculture and Rural Development. Due to lack of coordination amongst different implementing agencies, little information is available on the overall status of research, training and extension systems in Beekeeping.
The International Beekeeping Conference will provide a forum for reorienting the policies and programs in more productive and sustainable apiculture. The scheduled workshop will discuss at length based on the case studies of various countries with special emphasis on the prospectus of organic beekeeping practice in South Asian Countries and other developing and underdeveloped nations.
Also, the workshop will help to develop an agenda to ensure sustainable livelihood, natural resource use optimization and eco-system protection through income generating activities like beekeeping. There is urgent need to reorient the existing beekeeping policies and R & D programmes so as to enable the South Asian Nations to develop sustainable honey industry. |
