A lecture given by Jo Widdicombe at the 2021 National Honey Show entitled “NatBIP: Achieving a sustainable system of bee improvement” The lecture is sponsored by BIBBA. The National Honey Show gratefully acknowledge the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers for their support.

Jo will explain how, just as agriculture is seeking a more sustainable approach towards food production, beekeepers should also be looking towards developing a system of bee improvement that is less reliant on imports and more in tune with local adaptation. This will provide reduced biosecurity risks and the opportunity to maintain and improve the quality of the bees in our area. The practice of bee improvement is appropriate for all beekeepers from beginners, with one or two colonies, to large-scale commercial beekeepers. By all working to the same system, and starting with bees local to our area, we can all contribute to producing a better bee.

Jo is a past President of BIBBA. He worked as a bee inspector for 5 years and now runs about 150 colonies, with two assistants, producing honey, queens and nucs for sale. Author of the book, “The Principles of Bee Improvement” which explains how to select and improve the quality of our bees from local stock, with an emphasis on our native strain, rather than resorting to imported queens. He is a strong supporter of the National Bee Improvement Programme (NatBIP) which he sees as appropriate for beekeepers at every level, as a way of promoting a truly sustainable system of bee improvement.