In fact, the bees pollinate the major part of spontaneous and wild plants (about 80%), defining vegetation profile in a certain territory; but pollinate also the major part of agricultural plants, so much that numerous studies have shown the economic value that the bees cover in agriculture, increasing productivity. Instead it’s more difficult to quantify the value that the bees cover in the natural ecosystem, it is important because an eventual lack of pollination of wild entomophilous plants could have drastic consequences, leading to their complete extinction (on the contrary, in the case of an agricultural plant it is possible to intervene in various ways to make it more productive).

Given their role in nature, it’s discouraging to notice that bees are in decline. The cause of this decline seems to be above all of anthropic origin, such as intensive agriculture, causing the loss of habitat biodiversity and use of pesticides, which are intoxicating for pollinating insects. Adding to that, invading species, pathogen agents and climatic changes can have a negative effect on the bee population. All these fact are connected to each other, and the real challenge seems to be that of reducing the impact of human activity on the life of the bees. A simple and effective method is to maintain and safeguard the natural habitats in mosaic of agricultural territory through Nature Reserves.

For this reason BUONO chose the Oasi LIPU of Castel di Guido to place the first “20BUONI”, that is our first twenty families of bees. Here, they have found a natural habitat inside a bio-agricultural area bordering with the Riserva del Litorale Romano. Given the potential risk to which the bees are exposed and the scarcity of data in the scientific literature, it would also be hoped to acquire more information on how the bees respond to external attacks and deal with the problems of the beehives. In this sense BUONO puts in act a program of bio-monitoring, as a means of being able to act with more awareness. The commitment we have in protecting the bees becomes useful only in the light of making people aware of the importance that the bees have in nature. For this reason BUONO carries out an educational project in schools, because protecting bees signifies guaranteeing environmental conservation in which they live and guarantee the health of the planet and the entire humanity.