Integrating adaptation to climate change into the planning and decision-making of professionals in the Galician and Extremaduran beekeeping sector and the administrations related to this sector is the objective of the APICAMBIO project.

Integrating adaptation to climate change into the planning and decision-making of professionals in the Galician and Extremaduran beekeeping sector and the administrations related to this sector is the objective of the APICAMBIO project. An initiative of ASEFOGA (Galician Forestry Sector Association) that has the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition within the framework of its call for grants.

The impact of climate change on beekeeping in Galicia and Extremadura is generating losses in the sector. For this reason, it is necessary to create tools that help adapt to climate change in a key sector, since bees, in addition to producing honey, are an essential pollinator, which contributes to maintaining biodiversity and the yield of numerous agricultural crops. The National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (PNACC) proposes, in fact, to address the impacts and adaptation to climate change of beekeeping.

To achieve this adaptation to Climate Change in the sector, different activities have been developed. Firstly, interviews have been carried out with professionals in the beekeeping sector to learn first-hand about their problems and experiences in relation to climate change. After the study of the interviews carried out, two guides have been developed, one for Galicia and the other for Extremadura, which include different adaptation and mitigation measures for both beekeepers and administrations. To strengthen the implementation and dissemination of the proposed measures, 16 practical workshops have been given in apiaries, 10 awareness-raising seminars and an advisory service has been made available to all those interested to implement the adaptation measures in an individualized way. In addition, within the framework of the project, 4 indicators have been developed that have allowed us to monitor the impact of some of the adaptation measures. Three beekeepers have collaborated in this experience and have implemented 4 of the adaptation measures proposed in the guides in their apiary. The results have been favourable for the four established indicators. This confirms that the proposed measures positively favour beekeepers by favouring the development and competitiveness of the sector in the face of the effects of climate change.