Structure

Meet our Core Group

Woman with glasses smiling behind a display of various honey jars and containers.

Andreia Freitas

Action Chair

INIAV
Portugal

Two people in white beekeeper suits examining a wooden frame covered with bees outdoors.

Ivana Varenina

Action Vice Chair

Croatian Veterinary Institute
Zagreb - Croatia

Smiling female scientist wearing blue gloves and a white lab coat holding an orange liquid in a test tube in a laboratory.

Sara Leston

Grant Holder Scientific Representative

University of Coimbra - Portugal
‍

Woman with long dark hair wearing glasses, a mustard yellow jacket, and a black turtleneck, sitting indoors with framed drawings in the background.

Jelena Ćirić

Grant Awarding Coordinator

Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology - Serbia
‍

Scientist wearing a white lab coat using a precision balance in a laboratory filled with boxes and lab equipment.

Carolina Nebot

WG1 Leader

University of Santiago de Compostela
Spain

Smiling woman with long brown hair wearing a black short-sleeve top and dangling earrings in a modern indoor setting.

Iveta Pugajeva

WG2 Leader

BIOR - Latvia
‍

Beekeeper in protective suit holding a honeycomb frame covered with bees beside a beehive in an orchard.

Ivana Tlak Gajger

WG3 Leader

University Of Zagreb
Croatia

Smiling man wearing glasses and a Jack & Jones hoodie standing indoors with a painting and plant in the background.

Fabian Ruedenauer

WG4 Leader

Technical University of Munich
Germany

Man smiling and giving thumbs up seated at a table with multiple small jars of honey or similar substances in front of him.

Fatjon Hoxha

WG5 Leader

Agricultural University of Tirana
Albania

Scientist in a white lab coat working on a computer with analytical data on screen in a laboratory.

Marta Leite

WG6 Leader & Science Communication Coordinator

INIAV - Portugal

Additional roles

Smiling woman with curly hair, glasses, and hoop earrings wearing a dark hoodie in an indoor setting.

Ana Diéguez

Editorial Team Coordinator

University of Vigo – Spain

Smiling man in a light gray puffer jacket standing on a bridge over a canal with blurred buildings and lights in the background during dusk.

Artur Sarmento

Gender Equality Coordinator

University of Coimbra – Portugal

Smiling man with short dark hair, beard, and blue button-up shirt against a plain white background.

Adrián De La Fuente Ballesteros

YRI Committee Coordinator

University of Lüneburg – Germany

Man crouching next to a large insect sculpture with long curved horns inside a gallery with insect display cases on the walls.

Nemanja Jovanovic

Coordinator for online events

University of Belgrade – Serbia

Smiling man with crossed arms sitting in front of a computer and microscope in a lab.

Ricardo Oliveira

Social Media Manager

INIAV - Portugal

Meet our Working Groups

WG1 - Nutritional and medicinal properties of Honey and by-products: Quality Criteria in motion



This working group will focus on bee products, their nutritional and medicinal properties, as well as aspects related to their authenticity. The objective is to have an overview of current knowledge, emerging data, as well as the analytical methods available and applicable in different laboratories. Information regarding honey, royal jelly, wax, propolis and pollen, among others, will be reviewed and compiled to explain and promote the benefits of these products on human health. The WG will exchange information, samples, experiences to propose standard methods to determine the nutritional composition of bee products. Likewise, collaboration between members and groups will be encourage to study the biological properties, authenticity and characterization of the products obtained from different origins. The ultimate goal of the WG is to merge and unify findings and knowledge on bee products.

WG2 - Biomonitoring of abiotic stressors or anthropogenic contaminants in the environment



The presence of contaminants in honey arising from anthropogenic activities (urbanization and agriculture practices) and their spreading through ecosystems is a problem that needs to be studied. Anthropogenic contaminants can have a significant effect on human health and wildlife biodiversity and, therefore, a direct and indirect effect on an ecosystem. One of the main assumptions is that the highest impacts on the honey production decline have chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. Other important environmental contaminants are pharmaceuticals, which are used both for animals and humans, and as such they are considered a global concern about the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Their combined effect resulting from the synergistic action of climate changes, different bee diseases, and environmental contaminants represent the stressors that seriously disturb the balance in the beehive community.

WG3 - Evaluation of prevalent diseases and biotic stressors that threat honeybee colonies - endemic and possible imported threats



The primary objectives of veterinary medicine in beekeeping align with the One Health approach, aiming to safeguard honeybee health. Key goals involve conducting regular meetings to address these objectives, providing training for veterinarians and aspiring apiculturists, enhancing international understanding of varied training methods in apiculture for veterinarians, establishing guidelines for Good Veterinary Practices in apiculture, fostering stronger bonds between the veterinary profession and beekeeping sector, and promoting responsible distribution and use of veterinary medicines. Given the dynamic nature of beekeeping in agriculture, beekeepers must adhere to good practices encompassing veterinary medicines, disease management, and training. BeSafeBeeHoney will support beekeeping associations and individual beekeepers by offering expertise in the beekeeping sector.

WG4 - Honeybees as pollinators in agriculture: consequences of lost colonies in agrarian ecosystems



In this WG we are investigating the interactions between bees and agriculture. Bees are pollinating the crops of farmers, while farmers may use pesticides that are harmful to bees and could potentially contaminate bee products. This leads to a potential conflict between beekeepers and farmers. One of our aims in this WG is to encourage the stakeholders involved in this conflict to engage in discussion about solutions and accompanied by scientific advisors. We additionally want to find out the opinions of the different stakeholders via questionnaires. Additionally, we want to summarize the current knowledge on the different interactions between agriculture and bees and the potential effects on bee products.

WG5 - EU policies, safety practices and market analysis of the honey value chain



Contribute to the design and formulation of European policies to promote the apiculture production, including the prevention, reduction and control of biotic and abiotic stressors to honeybees. Provide environmental services useful to policy makers for setting and/or implementing beekeeping regulatory and management frameworks, necessary to enhance the sector performance. Contribute to spreading information relevant to every participating country's governmental management of risk to pollinators, to evaluate the need for mitigation, and the types of mitigation options, as well as the educational or training resources used and needed to mitigate potential risk to insect pollinators.

WG6 - Coordination, dissemination, and stakeholder involvement



Communication and stakeholder involvement are fundamental parts of European research projects, so the activities and achievements should be widely spread, both to the general public, as well as specific target groups which could use the results of the Action for their future work. The aim of this WG is to maximize the visibility and attractiveness of the Action. The development of a dialog with the scientific community, stakeholders, and public is one of the key points of this WG, as well as increase people’s motivation to use and apply evidence; and increase people’s ability to use and apply evidence.

Meet our Core Group

Andreia Freitas

Ivana Varenina

Sara Leston

Jelena Ćirić

Carolina Nebot

Iveta Pugajeva

Ivana Tlak Gajger

Fabian Ruedenauer

Fatjon Hoxha

Marta Leite

Additional roles

Ana Diéguez

Artur Sarmento

Adrián De La Fuente Ballesteros

Nemanja Jovanovic

Ricardo Oliveira

Meet our MC Committee

Meet our Working Groups

WG1 - Nutritional and medicinal properties of Honey and by-products: Quality Criteria in motion

WG2 - Biomonitoring of abiotic stressors or anthropogenic contaminants in the environment

WG3 - Evaluation of prevalent diseases and biotic stressors that threat honeybee colonies - endemic and possible imported threats

WG4 - Honeybees as pollinators in agriculture: consequences of lost colonies in agrarian ecosystems

WG5 - EU policies, safety practices and market analysis of the honey value chain

WG6 - Coordination, dissemination, and stakeholder involvement

Are you interested in joining our COST Action?

Meet our
MC Committee