May 15, 2025, Banja Luka, BiH
The conference Inclusive Beekeeping took place in Banja Luka as part of the four-year project “Beekeeping as a Tool for Empowering Mine Victims in BiH”, implemented by the UDAS Amputee Organization, ITF Slovenia, and the Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia – Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, with support from the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Government of Republika Srpska.
The event gathered 45 participants – representatives of institutions, organizations, and beekeepers with and without disabilities. Discussions took place in three key panels:
- Regional Cooperation and Institutional Support
- Experiences of Beekeepers – Mine Victims in BiH
- The Impact of Climate Change on Beekeeping
Beekeeping was reaffirmed as a tool of empowerment, healing, and income generation. Through moving personal stories, participants shared how beekeeping helped them find peace, purpose, and new livelihoods.
Speakers and experts included:
- Tomaž Lovrenčič, Director of ITF Slovenia
- Damijan Sedar, Slovenian Ambassador to BiH
- Goran Bursać, Assistant Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska
- Prof. Dr. Goran Mirjanić, Agricultural Faculty Banja Luka
- Prof. Andrej Simončič, Ph.D., Director of the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia
- Doc. Dr. Janez Prešern, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia
- Dr. Violeta Santrač, Veterinary Institute Dr. Vaso Butozan, Banja Luka
We also visited beekeepers Gostimir Radulović (LR hives) and Nikola Popović (AŽ hives), long-term project participants, to explore their beehives and taste their locally produced honey.
May 20, 2025, Plav, Montenegro
On World Bee Day, Plav hosted “Women and Beekeeping for a Sustainable Future”, celebrating pollinators and empowering women in rural development.
The event was jointly organized by:
Zavod Krog (Slovenia), Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Montenegro, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Montenegro, Beekeeping Association of Montenegro, Municipality of Plav, Women’s City Council of Plav, Tourism Organization of Plav, and Beekeeping Association of Plav. Zavod Krog played a central role in coordinating the event.
The day began with performances by children dressed as bees, followed by a honey breakfast. The main program featured two panels:
- Apitourism
- Women’s Involvement in Beekeeping
And the presentation: “Origin and quality of honey in Montenegro”.
Key speakers included:
- Tanja Arih Korošec, Director of ApiRoutes-Apiturizem
- Marija Sivec, professional beekeeper from Slovenia with 28 years of experience
- Valentina Cvjetković, Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia – Agricultural Institute of Slovenia
- Ratko Bataković, Network for Rural Development
- Danijela Babović, beekeeper
- Miroslav Cimbaljević, Director of the Directorate for Agriculture at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Montenegro
- Nihad Canović, Mayor of Plav
The event highlighted the untapped potential of apitourism, women’s entrepreneurship, and knowledge-sharing between Slovenia and Montenegro. With initiatives like the local api-chamber in Plav already in place, the region is paving the way for a sustainable, inclusive beekeeping future.
