Defining the “local” bee: between globalization and regional adaptation : An example from French apiculture | Defining the “local” bee: between globalization and regional adaptation

Thanks to its small size, among other factors, the honeybee is a creature that is easily transported and exchanged. A significant market in honeybees exists, one that dates back in France to the mid 19th century, with the importation of the Italian bee, celebrated for its productivity. In the absence of any formal breeding program adopted by the French apiculture sector, this market has continued to expand over the decades. Although originally based on an indigenous breed of honeybee adapted to local environmental conditions, French apiculture has not escaped the effects of market globalization, resulting in significant genetic mixing. The development of new honeybee strains, such as the Buckfast bee, has likewise contributed to widespread interbreeding. In the current context, with disease pressures increasing as a side effect of substantial honeybee imports and other, equally serious threats weighing on the sector—including climate change, the loss of floral diversity, the use of pesticides harmful to bees—the question of genetics is again on the agenda. Two trends are emerging in response to these threats and uncertainties. The first favors a return to the use of “local” or “regional” honeybees and other native bees; efforts are underway to protect the genetic resources of these heritage strains and species. The second seeks to explore other genetic combinations, with “local” bees contributing to the mix via natural, spontaneous crossings. A tension has emerged between those favoring the “black” bee—hardy, local, but considered by some to be aggressive—and those preferring the “yellow” bee (now called the Buckfast)—productive, gentle, but coming from a geographic, technical, and commercial “elsewhere.” We suggest that these two positions point to the same underlying question: how does one best align a type of bee, a local area, local resources, and a specific way of understanding and practicing apiculture? In this presentation, we will also emphasize the semantic slippages that characterize the use of these different categories: “local” bees, the “black” bee, the “native” bee, “Buckfast,” etc. Our analysis is based on a sociological study relying on interviews conducted in two French regions, the Parisian region and Burgundy.