As the globe gets warmer, Italy's beekeeping industry faces severe impacts from climate change, leading to a decline in honey harvests.
Piedmont, a major honey-producing region in northwest Italy, has more than 400 apiaries.
A veteran beekeeper Massimo Carpinteri, who has been in the industry for nearly 50 years, said that unusual weather this year has drastically reduced honey production, resulting in the average honey yield per hive this spring only 3.7 kilograms, roughly one-sixth of the usual amount. "The seasons are a bit reversed. Winter is warmer. But when April arrives, it begins to freeze, it begins to rain, it starts to get cold. And this year the rain and the cold weather lasted from early May to mid-June. So it is a very bad year for honey production," said Carpinteri.
Carpinteri also said that extreme weather conditions have become more frequent since 2011, affecting plant growth cycles and threatening bee populations.
"When it is cold and the weather is bad, the bee queens would lay fewer eggs, and the bee families would get smaller. Therefore, there would be fewer bees that go out to collect pollen to make honey. Sometimes, they would even stop laying eggs," said Carpinteri.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the global average surface temperature from January to September this year was about 1.54 degrees Celcuis higher than the pre-industrial average, making 2024 probably the hottest year on record.
Extreme weather conditions also damage bee plants, leading to the decline of flowers. As a result, some beekeepers have to resort to artificial feeding to sustain their hives, while others have to relocate in search of bee plants. All cause costs and uncertainty increase.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 91 out of the 107 major crops vital to human beings rely on bees for pollination. Without bees, about 40,000 plants will face difficulties in reproduction and potential extinction.
Climate change poses significant threats to bees and other pollinating insects, according to Simone Tosi, an assistant professor at the Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences of the University of Turin.
"Undoubtedly, the biggest impact of climate change on pollinators is the rise of temperature or the change in temperatures, because it will cause the plant community to change. On the other hand, pollinators are closely linked to the climate of the environment and the weather. If these factors change dramatically, it will certainly impact their ability to survive and behave in a certain environment," said Tosi.
Climate change hits Italy's beekeeping industry hard
Climate change hits Italy's beekeeping industry hard
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde called on the European Union and China to deepen understanding and trust to cultivate better economic and trade relations, and expected the financial institutions of both sides to enhance cooperation.
During her visit to China, China Global Television Network (CGTN) conducted an exclusive interview with Lagarde in Beijing on Thursday, covering topics including economic relations, challenges, and cooperation.
Data from the Ministry of Commerce of China showed that the EU investment in China increased by 11.7 percent in the first quarter of this year, while the recent survey of the European Chamber of Commerce in China also suggested improved sentiment.
Lagarde said that the growth in investment indicated an enhanced confidence in China's development, and she expected that the two side will further deepen mutual understanding so that these investments could be effectively utilized and generate returns.
"Cross investment means a stronger commitment to a particular country because you actually put your money in the country, you invest and you expect the return of that investment. And I'm very pleased to hear what you have mentioned about the European Chamber of Commerce and the results of those surveys. And I think it needs to be cultivated. We need to all make sure that those investments are safe and secure, that the return on investment is safe and secure and is not under threat. We need to have a good understanding of those areas that are of high value for security purposes, for instance, on both sides, and to have a good understanding of it between us," she said.
The ECB chief highlighted China's remarkable progress in the digital currency sector, expressing the hope that Chinese and European financial institutions would continue to share know-how and collaborate to advance the development of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
"It's an area where I think PBOC (People's Bank of China) and ECB have a lot to share and to discuss and to progress. China was ahead of its time with the digital renminbi. And we started that work about six years ago. Now China was ahead of us. It's an area where we are determined to make progress, where we think that it is going to strengthen our autonomy, our security, it will provide a European alternative to what we have available at the moment. And I think we can learn from each other a lot. So we have for a long time discussed and cooperated and will continue to do so in relation to CBDC in particular," said Lagarde.
As part of her China tour, Lagarde and PBOC governor Pan Gongsheng signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of central banking, including a framework for the regular exchange of information, dialogue and technical cooperation between the two institutions.
Lagarde noted that China's technological development had made a deep impression on her. She also praised China's rapid development, describing it as "inspiring" in the face of common challenges.
"I think we're facing the same challenges. I think we are recording a reasonably good growth number for the first half of [20]25 because of the buildup of inventory by people in the trade. So I think we'll have to be attentive to what happens in the second half of 25. But more substantively and for the longer term, I'm really impressed by the combination of robotic artificial intelligence, the continued hard work by the Chinese people. So I think the three combined and the way in which you are moving as fast as you do from innovation to product to market is quite inspiring," she said.
ECB chief welcomes growth in China-EU cross investment, eying further cooperation
