Winner of the Golden Bee Award is the charity Wheen Bee Foundation

In her keynote speech, the President expressed her pride in Slovenia’s achievements in, and contributions to, international efforts to protect bees and other pollinators since the General Assembly of the United Nations declared 20 May World Bee Day at our initiative. “World Bee Day, celebrated for the seventh time today, is a success story. First of all, it is a great story about the success of beekeeping in Slovenia and Slovenian beekeepers. The initiative for World Bee Day should be credited to the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association,” she pointed out.

The President described the Golden Bee Award, which was awarded for the fourth time, as a great success story. “The international Golden Bee Award raises broader awareness of the importance of bees and pollinators and encourages special achievements related to their protection,” she said. The President took the opportunity to reiterate the need to protect the environment and its biodiversity. She stressed that bees and pollinators are now an integral part of the world’s environmental and food agenda, as 90 per cent of wild plant reproduction and three quarters of agricultural yields depend on their hard work. “Our future is closely linked to the future of bees and other pollinators,” the President emphasised.

This year, the Golden Bee was awarded for achievements in promoting bees and other pollinators, and presented to the Wheen Bee Foundation, an Australian charity that promotes the role of bees in ensuring food security. The award was presented to Fiona Chambers, CEO of the Wheen Bee Foundation, by the President of the Republic, who also congratulated the runner-up, ITF Enhancing Human Security of Slovenia represented at today’s ceremony by its Director, Mag. Tomaž Lovrenčič.

The participants were also addressed by Mateja Čalušić, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of the Republic of Slovenia, who is also President of the Golden Bee Award Committee.