ASPECTS REGARDING THE EVOLUTION OF APICULTURE

Abstract

The growth of the world population, the technical-scientific and socio-economic evolution have led to the increase of the need for food products and the diversification of their range. Under these conditions, beekeeping acquires an increasingly important role as a food supply (honey) but also as a vector of growth of agricultural vegetal production through crop pollination. It also provides various products with a role in maintaining the health of the population through products with high prophylactic and therapeutic value. From a social and economic point of view, it is recognized that this branch of activity contributes to ensuring the prosperity of the population, especially in rural areas, through an additional source of income and the superior use of natural and human resources. In addition, beekeeping takes on an increased importance by supporting and stimulating the natural environment through the undeniable effects on floral biodiversity. Beekeeping is practiced in all European countries, to a greater or lesser extent. And compared to other agricultural branches, where the investments are necessary to start the activity and the expenses for current activities are much higher, in beekeeping all these are located at a much more reasonable level. Another important aspect that needs to be maintained is related to technological development, in beekeeping activity there is no need for highly advanced techniques and technologies to obtain quality products, but involvement is needed. Beekeeping is the branch of agriculture in which Romania could play an important role at European level, but as in other agricultural branches, a critical point in beekeeping is the association and the marketing of products. Within this work, a brief analysis of beekeeping within the European Union is carried out, the extent of this activity as several persons involved in each state, the number of hives and productions obtained, using descriptive statistical methods and graphic processing of the obtained data.