Assessing the environmental, social and economic sustainability of beekeeping activities

The beekeeping sector faces several socio-economic problems and environmental stressors, from increased prices of pharmaceuticals to habitat loss or pesticides. Our study aims to better understand the variables driving the performance of beekeeping activities across the environmental, social, and economic dimensions and derive a diagnostic system. We gathered data on 29 basic indicators from a survey of 66 beekeeping activities located in Lombardy region (Italy), covering a wide range of sizes, experience, and management strategies. We applied a stepwise simplification of the information by which the 29 basic indicators are synthetized in 13 “sub-dimensions” and lastly in three “dimensions” through: (1) identification of the range of variation and normalization and (2) weighting and aggregation. The end user can make a quantitative analysis by relating beekeeping activity performance to the theoretical optimum. Here, years of experience together with activity size were the most relevant factors affecting sustainability. Beekeepers with more experience and larger activities showed higher economic sustainability together with a greater environmental pollination service. Transhumance practice and geographical location were also relevant, with exclusively or partially transhumant beekeepers showing higher economic sustainability than stationary ones, and apiaries located in the lowland showing higher social and economic sustainability. Beekeeping activities following different management practices (organic, conventional, or in conversion) performed similarly in economic terms, suggesting that organic management can be an economically sustainable approach for honey-producing operations. Our framework becomes particularly relevant within the current policy efforts to support sustainable beekeeping and crop pollination services in the European Union.