SDG 15 - Life on Land

Human life is dependent on land as much as the oceans in terms of food and livelihood. Plants provide 80% of people’s nutritional resources, we rely on agriculture as an important economic resource and development tool. Forests cover 30% of the surface of the Earth. They provides vital habitats as well as fresh air and water resources for millions of species. It is also critical to combating climate change. SDG 15 aims to protect and restore terrestrial eco-systems such as forests, wetlands, arid areas and mountains. Stopping deforestation is also vital for reducing the impacts of climate change. Action must be taken immediately to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity that are part of our common heritage.

WHAT WE DO?

Our Bee and Bee Products Research and Application Center has various studies focusing on this topic. One of these is the Bridging Research and Practice (B-RAP) Project. It aims to support beekeepers and beekeeping as well as to ensure that the knowledge that is generated reaches the beekeepers and leads to modified practice.

Under another project, colony loss monitoring has been active since the start of the COLOSS COST action, now the COLOSS Association, to study reasons for colony losses. Participating countries carry out an annual survey of beekeepers by questionnaires, with the aim of collecting information from a nationally representative sample of beekeepers. This makes it possible to compare and contrast colony loss rates between countries and to use the international data collected to understand better the risk factors for colony loss. Moreover, our experts take active part in the Bee Nutrition Project (NUTRI), which gathers independent experts in bee nutrition. This community aims at developing a multinational network that will engage in discussions and research. The NUTRI TF wants to facilitate and develop collaborations to produce synergistic scientifically-sound outputs, and aims at harmonizing and standardizing research on bee nutrition.