The 3rd International BeSafeBeeHoney Conference, organized as part of COST Action CA22105 (Valorization of Beekeeping Products and Biomonitoring for the SAFETY OF BEES AND HONEY (BeSafeBeeHoney)), took place in Tirana, Albania, from 5 to 9 May. The aim of the event was to encourage the scientific community and representatives of the beekeeping sector to actively discuss safe honey production processes, sustainable beekeeping, and innovative research methods.
The series of presentations covered topics ranging from the monitoring of pesticide residues to the prevention of microbiological contamination in honey and from the impact of climate change and environmental pollution on the safety of bee products to ecosystem stability.
Particular emphasis was placed on international cooperation. Laima Blažytė-Čereškienė, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Chemical and Behavioural Ecology, attended the conference and together with her international colleagues presented two poster presentations:
Laima Blažytė-Čereškienė, Maj Rundlöf, Elin Eriksson, Julia Bergman, Sara Erling, Ove Jonsson, Mariana Ledesma, Bjørn Arild Hatteland, Glenn P Svensson, Kajsa Weslien, Ola Olsson and Mikaela Gönczi “Pesticide Residues in Honey Bee Collected Pollen from Northern European Agricultural Landscapes” and
Laima Blažytė-Čereškienė, Jacques van Alphen, Frankie de Dobbelaere, Vincent René Douarre, Natuschka M. Lee, Markku Pöyhönen, Jo Widdicombe, John Greenaway “The protection of native European dark honey bee, Apis mellifera mellifera and SICAMM”.
In summarizing the results of the conference, it should be emphasized that only a consistent application of scientific advances can ensure the long-term competitiveness of the beekeeping sector and the safety of its products on a global scale.
