Slovenia – In December 2017, in response to an initiative from Slovenia, the United Nations unanimously proclaimed 20 May as World Bee Day. This was the culmination of a several-year campaign by the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Slovenia’s diplomatic service and numerous other actors. The aim of World Bee Day is to raise awareness of the enormous importance of bees for human survival: up to a third of the world’s food depends on bees. Pollinators, of which bees are the most important, contribute to successful agricultural production and food security. Bees also help preserve biodiversity.

Slovene beekeepers are strongly tied to the indigenous Carniolan grey bee (Apis mellifera carnica) not only because of tradition, but because they are aware of the need to maintain the purity of breed. Thanks to its extremely positive characteristics (docility, industriousness), the true Carniolan bee is prized and sought after throughout the world.

The choice of 20 May as World Bee Day also carries symbolic weight for Slovenia, since this is the birthday of Anton Janša (1734–1773), whose writings and practical teachings at the newly established beekeeping school in Vienna, under the patronage of Empress Maria Theresa, laid the foundations for modern beekeeping. It is therefore logical that the rst celebration of World Bee Day, on 20 May 2018, will take place in Breznica, the village where Janša was born.

Gorazd Trušnovec, Urbani ?ebelar

• Issue Date: 25.05.2018
• Designer: Zlatko Dr?ar
• Printer: Agencija za komercijalnu djelatnost d.o.o., Zagreb, Hrvaška / Croatia / Kroatien
• Process: Offset
• Colours: 4 Colours
• Size: Stamp Size: 42.60 x 29.82 mm, M/S Size: 70.00 x 60.00
• Values: €1.00