Belgium’s Colruyt Group Collaborates With BeeOdiversity

By: Trademagazin editor Date: 2023. 04. 20. 09:45

Belgian retailer Colruyt Group is placing beehives on its own farming land to map out the biodiversity in the environment and presence of pollutants.

The health of the soil and environment will be measured by analysing the pollen collected by the bees and soil samples.

The impact of actions to improve the quality of the environment can also be assessed with this method, and ‘best practices’ can be identified.

The project is a collaboration with BeeOdiversity for AB InBev‘s 100+ Accelerator programme, of which Colruyt Group is the European partner.

BeeOdiversity is a Belgian start-up supplying tools and advice to increase biodiversity and reduce pollutants in the environment and the soil.

The first results of the project are expected by June, and improvement actions will be defined at the end of the year.

Pollination

Three-quarters of food crops completely or partially depend on pollination by natural pollinators to be able to form edible fruits or seeds.

In early April, BeeOdiversity installed beehives near the Colruyt Group plots in Moustier. It allows the bees to fly out (up to 1.5 km on average) and act as natural drones to collect pollen in their hives for eight months.

As soon as the temperature exceeds 12° Celsius, the bees begin to invade the environment. When the temperature exceeds 15° Celsius, the bees are at their best.

They gather billions of pollen samples containing the DNA of plants (trees, bushes and herbs), as well as pollutants.

Targeted Approach

Colruyt Group claims the results of the analyses will allow a targeted approach, in terms of agricultural practices, the organisation of field edges as well the environment.

ESM