SLOVENIA International Forum for Action on Sustainable Beekeeping and Pollination Bees for People, Planet and Peace Opening Statement

Dear colleagues,

The President of Apimondia,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am so delighted to come back to the beautiful and green country of Slovenia. Outside is a little bit cloudy and rainy. This makes it greener, so we need the rain, bees and pollination. This is the ideal place for the revival of the ecosystem.

I remember my first trip here in February just about 100 days ago. During that trip I had the honour to discuss with Her Excellency the President of the Republic of Slovenia the possibility of co-organizing this first International Forum on Sustainable Beekeeping and Pollination in Slovenia – and today it is happening.

Let us all show how efficient the Slovenian people, colleagues and leaders are. Especially from the President, Prime-Minister, Vice-Premier, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Agriculture. And with my colleagues and international partners, especially Apimondia.

I remember, when I took office as FAO Director-General in 2019, I met the President of Apimondia. And during the past four years, if you search FAO’s website, the cover photo is always between him and me. He is a real symbolic person on FAO’s web. He is a professor and a beekeeper, typically featuring a moustache. We should borrow your photos and become an international icon for advocating beekeepers!

Beekeepers not only produce honey. Beekeepers should also be industrious with wisdom and commercial ideas, and with a vision.

I think you are a three-in-one.

Under the theme 'Bees for People, Planet, and Peace,' I wish to thank the Government of Slovenia for their warm hospitality and for making this Forum possible.

Last evening we had a very good opening on beehives. It is symbolic and serious, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs because it has been added to their compass.

Also, those photos were already sent out on my social media, WeChat. Once we had two times of top ten hot search list about 600 million followers in my two election day of 2019 and 2023. So, I think those photos will be very warmly received by the world.

It is my role to promote bees and beekeepers. Those are the two keywords: bees and beekeepers. One is a human being, and the other is an animal, an insect in general.

Without your support together with my colleagues. A deliverable, efficient and effective FAO would not have been possible!

This gathering shows that we can act locally, for global impact, together.

From the small country and small insect, we create a longer, bigger, and more impactful future.

Together, we are part of a collective commitment to safeguard the vital role of bees and other pollinators to our agrifood systems and rural development.

Thanks to the efforts of the Government of Slovenia, with the support of Apimondia, in 2018 the UN General Assembly declared 20 May as World Bee Day.

Last night, I had a very good time with one of the pioneers for the World Bee Day, Mr Dejan Zidan. That time I remember he asked me first for the Chinese government to support this idea in 2015. I was the responsible minister. The clear guidance from our formal leaders, who paid an official visit to Slovenia in 2015. Then we moved on together.

Mr Zidan was so happy to see me and host me. We had typical Slovenian food, but we enjoyed all the historic memories together, between China, Slovenia and FAO of course.

That time the former Director General, Mr Jose Graziano da Silva, also supported it very much. As fate would have it, I became FAO Director-General later to continue to provide support.

I am so busy, but within 100 days I travelled to one country twice. It has never happened. I did not go back to China within 100 days, even 200 days. But Slovenia, I did a second time after 100 days, because World Bee Day is very close to my heart. And also, to the small-holder farmers and small-holder producers. Because we need to walk the talk on how to support small-holder farmers and small-holder producers.

Here you did not see how the industrial work of beekeepers. From China, I followed, from winter in the South Hainan and tropical, then they moved all year to the end of July in Heilongjiang, at the Russian boarder. And then come back to Hainan again in December-January. They move all these beehives in one or two trucks.

Before it was by bicycle, or by tricycle, but now we are lucky because they have upgraded and move all with trucks. They are moving at least once a month changing location.

That is why when you enjoy the sweet honey, have you appreciated enough, these small beekeepers and small food producers?  That is the real value of life, the real value of the people, and humanity. That is real diplomacy. That is why I am so delighted that the Vice-Prime and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs came to the front, because bee is a good media, a good instrument to establish real diplomacy.

I said you found the trick; you said the magic. You found the good trick, an entry point, to do real diplomacy. It is not only agricultural products.

I was very pleased to celebrate World Bee Day this year in Rome together with the Government of Italy,

Additionally, the Italian government was so generous, for the first time they offered me to visit the “Tenuta del Presidente”, in English it means the royal hunting place for the president in the city of Rome city - 61km only for the president’s hunting.

Italy is not a big country, but they used that big piece of land for the president’s hunting, but now hunting is not allowed, but it is a good place to promote science, especially agricultural science and technology, with young kids and students.

 To highlight the importance of involving the youth in beekeeping and pollinator conservation efforts.

Youth are the future guardians of the environment and play a key role in addressing today’s challenges for a better future.

Now, we bring the World Bee Day celebration back to Slovenia. With that comes a real sustainable platform from Slovenia, for Slovenia, not only for Slovenia, and for the world,

From Slovenia, go beyond Slovenia and for the world. That was my message, that was my real original design. And show us appreciation for initiating the World Bee Day by the government and the people from Slovenia, which provides an opportunity for in-depth dialogue, learning, reflection and exchange,

For a greater understanding and promotion of the sustainable management of bees and the protection of wild pollinators.

They are working day and night for us, for people, the planet, the biodiversity, for food diversity, and the people who need this planet forever.

They are vital to ecosystem functions for nature, agriculture, and human well-being, acting as the invisible cornerstone of our agrifood systems.

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to see that your discussions during the Forum will focus on partnerships and funding, youth and gender inclusivity, technological innovations and ecosystem services associated with bees and beekeeping.

Your exchanges will give new impetus to international collaboration in the field of beekeeping and pollinators’ protection, and to help meet rapidly changing needs, particularly in Africa.

Fostering more diverse agrifood systems can facilitate increased pollination that, in turn, can improve food quality and quantity, benefiting both human populations and the ecosystems.

The Forum will also highlight how the youth are a source of innovation and strength, and they should be encouraged and supported to take an active role along the honey value chain.

By engaging young people in beekeeping activities, educational initiatives, and advocacy efforts, we can inspire a new generation of environmental leaders and empower them to make a positive impact on the world.

Together, let us collaborate, innovate, and promote sustainable beekeeping to support the transformation of global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable,

For the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

I wish you a fruitful Forum!

Thank you, all my colleagues and Slovenia, partners and other friends who support this forum.

So timely, and a good start,

Thank you. Thank you very much.