Agriculture and Environment Ministries to Strengthen Joint Response for Protecting Honeybees from 'Climate Change'

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 17th that it will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the 18th at the National Institute of Biological Resources to ensure smooth operation and establish a cooperative system for the 'Multi-Ministry Joint Research Project on Honeybee Protection and Ecosystem Conservation in Response to Abnormal Weather.'

Due to the decrease in honeybee habitats and populations caused by global warming and environmental changes, on March 2 last year, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences of the Rural Development Administration, the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute of the Ministry of Environment, the National Institute of Forest Science of the Korea Forest Service, and the National Institute of Meteorological Sciences of the Korea Meteorological Administration signed an MOU and have been performing their respective duties.

Starting this year, to strengthen research on biodiversity conservation in response to climate change, the Ministry of Environment's responsible agency has been changed from the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute to the newly designated National Institute of Biological Resources, leading the institutions to come together to sign a new MOU.

The Quarantine Agency is collaborating with related ministries to address issues in the honeybee sector by developing diagnostic and control technologies for new diseases in honeybees caused by abnormal temperatures, analyzing the effects of mite and virus infections on honeybee lifespan and behavior, and conducting comparative metabolomic studies on honeybees exposed to climate change and toxic substances.

The National Institute of Biological Resources, which will participate in this project, will promote the establishment of a climate change response inventory and technologies for evaluating pollination ecosystem services. The National Institute of Agricultural Sciences will conduct research on smart management technologies and nutritional analysis for honeybee robustness, honeybee pest control, development of honey production models, and evaluation of characteristics and value of apicultural products by nectar source.

The National Institute of Forest Science will conduct research on discovering excellent resources suitable for comprehensive management of nectar sources in response to climate change, establishing nectar source complexes, and evaluating their value, while the National Institute of Meteorological Sciences will develop predictive models for the flowering periods of nectar plants.

Kim Jeong-hee, head of the Quarantine Agency, stated, "With the signing of this MOU, we hope to further strengthen intergovernmental cooperation for honeybee protection and jointly respond to issues in the honeybee sector caused by climate change based on the expertise of each ministry, thereby contributing to the protection of the apiculture industry and ecosystem conservation."