Bees contribute to the pollination of many crops, including blueberries, which depend on pollination for higher plant productivity and larger, firmer fruit.

In the case of honey production, to produce just one kilo, it is estimated that bees must visit millions of flowers, and only one of them manages to produce just one tablespoon of honey in its life.

For these and many other reasons, these insects are considered key pollinators and beneficial agents for human life. Without bees, 60% of the fruits and vegetables that we consume daily would not reach our table.

In this task, bees face many problems that affect their health including parasites, diseases, insufficient food and exposure to pesticides. Bees often face all of these challenges at the same time, making it difficult for them to thrive.

Recognition of beekeeping activity

For this reason, after several sessions of scientific and technical studies, the initiative that regulates the beekeeping activity in Chile was able to be analyzed by the Chamber of the Senate of the Republic, after the members of the Agriculture Commission concluded the process of vote on the indications presented to the text in the first procedure.

The proposal brings together four motions that seek to protect the health and habitat of bees and other pollinators, as well as promote the national and local beekeeping industry. This, in order to preserve biodiversity, the development of forestry and agricultural activities and industries, and the nutrition and health of the population.

All sectors related to fruit and vegetable activity have valued the importance of its unanimous approval by the Senate Chamber on August 31 and the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Beekeeping Development.

First law

Finally, after 8 years of discussion, the proposal was unanimously approved in the ordinary session, an occasion in which various senators, particularly the members of the Agriculture Commission who participated in the process, explained the importance of shaping the first framework law of this activity.

Among other measures, with this law, a state recognition is made of the importance of the beekeeping world and the promotion, protection and promotion of the sustainable development of beekeeping as a forestry and agricultural activity is established as an objective, the national registry of beekeepers and stampers is created. of wax, and the use of pesticides that may have effects on this activity may be regulated.

Apimondia 2023

The approval of this project is framed in the context of Chile in charge of the organization of the International Congress of the International Federation of Beekeeping Organizations (Apimondia), which will be executed in 2023.

In this framework, the Undersecretary of Agriculture, José Guajardo, commented on the lessons learned from his visit to Apimondia 2022 in Turkey, highlighting the challenges that the sector faces in Apimondia Chile 2023. He suggests highlighting the event as the great beekeeping milestone of the Southern Cone , relieve the beekeeping law as an experience for the world, and support the promotion to receive potential visitors, tasks that the services of the Ministry of Agriculture have already started.

During the debate, the senators valued the cross-cutting agreement that the proposal brought about, along with highlighting the importance of generating public policies for a rarely recognized productive sector, responding to the feelings of entrepreneurs in the sector and the guidelines of the scientific world.