Dr. Mark Winston has asked me to develop a symposium on beekeeping extension
and regulation worldwide for the 1999 Apimondia meeting to be held in
Vancouver, Canada 13-18 September.
Elements of this symposium might include:
1. Extension education models found around the world
2. Funding extension education around the world
3. Regulatory models found around the world
4. Funding regulation around the world
5. The relation between extension and regulation in the new millenium
Extension education is structured differently all over the world. One model
is the United States Cooperative Extension Service, which is federal in
nature, but based mostly in state Universities
<http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/papers/french.htm#4> The current
state of this activity has been well summarized by Dr. Ray Nabors, Missouri
extension entomologist
<http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis98/apjan98.htm#2>. In his
document, Dr. Nabors said that beekeeper education should be extension's
responsibility and it would be a wise use of public money, given a possible
pollination crisis. The U.S. Cooperative Extension Service has been used as
a model in many other nations as well. In a few states (Texas and South
Carolina), Cooperative Extension also has a regulatory function.
In other parts of the world, formal extension education efforts are not
necessarily affiliated with universities. This is true in Egypt where there
is a formal extension service, but not closely tied to universities
<http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis92/apmar92.htm#1>. In Italy,
universities (Udine, Torino, Bologna) do research and extension work, but a
formal educational service does not exist. Italians, however, have a
privatized, federally subsidized structure supporting educational efforts,
which includes the Federazione Apicoltori Italiani (FAI).
<http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis89/apaug89.htm#1>. France also
has a privatized yet subsidized model for professional beekeepers called
ADAPI <http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/letters/aix7_6.htm>. Both
Italian and French models do not appear to be regulatory in nature, but do
carry out some regulatory activity in conjunction with certifying honey and
honey houses.
In Canada, organized educational efforts are mostly carried out by provincial
apiarists, who are also regulators. There exists in Ontario an educational
effort supported to a great extent by beekeepers.
Regulation in the United States is a mixture of everything from no
regulation to highly organized inspection services. Bee inspection is a
state function and there is no Federal agency that oversees this activity.
Most state inspection services were set up to keep American foulbrood
epidemics under control. Again, a few are also affiliated with extension
education efforts, both duties generally combined in one individual,
somewhat like the Canadian model.
With the appearance of tracheal and Varroa mites, inspection services have
had to take on more and more responsibilities, and there is debate about
whether they have outlived their usefulness
<http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis91/apaug91.htm#1>.
Perhaps the most organized U.S. service is the Florida Apiary Bureau with
twelve full-time inspectors and one chief apiarist. Originally fully funded
by public money, the Florida inspection service has undergone much change.
As part of this, both mandatory registration and a yearly fee have been
enacted. At the same time, the Bureau has become much more active in
educational efforts than before, which are considered to be important in
maintaining credibility with and support from the industry it serves
<http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis92/apnov92.htm#1>.
In Europe and French-speaking Canada, regulation is the domain of
veterinarians. This is in contrast to the United States, where
veterinarians do not deal with honey bees. The French veterinary
inspection service is perhaps one of the most organized and routinely
inspects bees and accumulates data on the industry
<http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis97/apmar97.htm#2>. The FNOSAD is
an association of departmental (provincial) bee inspection services
<http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/letters/aix3_23.htm>. Another
organization (CNEVA) also does research on both bee diseases and certifying
bee products <http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/letters/aix2_28.htm>.
Both are I believe are state funded, however, I am unclear about the
distinction between the two. They both also publish educational information
for beekeepers.
These are just a few of the models that might be in existence over the
world, which educate beekeepers and regulate bee diseases. This brings us
to the central questions of the proposed symposium. Given increased
worldwide movement of bees (Africanized and Cape bees) and their parasites,
including viruses, mites (Varroa, Acarapis and Tropolaelaps), fungi and
bacteria (i.e. TM-resistant Paenibacillus larvae), how is regulation likely
to be organized in the new Millennium and how will it be funded? How will
extension education fit into this and where will money come from for this
activity?
I am sending this message out to the electronic discussion lists (apis-l,
bee-l, aapa-l, apinet-l,) for feedback and nomination of possible speakers
who might address these issues. If you nominate someone, please indicate
what topic you believe that person might address.
Please be reminded that there are no funds available for symposium speakers
at this time. It is also possible to nominate yourself; again, if you do
so, please send a short abstract of what you would like to present.
Although the full symposium will accommodate 7 to 8 speakers only, there is
also the possibility of presenting a poster session.
I look forward to potential speaker nominations and other feedback on this
important issue.
Dr. M.T. Sanford
==============================================================================
Dr. Malcolm (Tom) Sanford, Extension Apiculturist, University of Florida
Bldg. 970, P.O. Box 110620, Gainesville, FL 32611-0620
Ph. 352/392-1801 ext. 143 Fax 352/392-0190
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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