By Emeka Ugwuanyi
In line with Sahara Group’s commitment to protecting the environment, Sahara Energy International, Geneva is working with APIDAE on bee conservation to support efforts geared towards promoting biodiversity and sustainability across the globe.
Sahara Energy Geneva is a subsidiary of leading energy conglomerate Sahara Group and APIDAE, a non-profit organization sets up beehives on behalf of companies across Switzerland to raise awareness about the decline in biodiversity.
According to National Geographic, 80% of winged invertebrates have disappeared in Western Europe over the last 30 years. 45% of bees are on the brink of extinction in Switzerland. Experts say this dismal trend in loss of biodiversity is inimical to the future of humanity given the critical role bees play in human existence.
Kola Motajo, Director, Sahara Group, said the fact that bees are responsible for pollinating more than 70% of the world’s crops, makes them essential for food production and biodiversity. “For us at Sahara, supporting bee conservation ultimately helps to address hunger and food security, which is one of the sustainable development goals. We believe that this collaboration with APIDAE not only aligns with our sustainability efforts, but also help in creating a more sustainable future as we aim make a difference on the environment,” he said.
Motajo said Sahara Energy Geneva adopted two beehives and hoped that its partnership with APIDAE would inspire other companies and individuals to join the movement towards sustainable practices that would help safeguard the environment for future generations.
“The Sahara team courageously visited the hives to raise awareness on how bees contribute to complex, interconnected ecosystems that allow many different species to co-exist. The exercise provided a platform to celebrate our diversity, making our people more connected to our vision of brining energy to life responsibly. We also had the opportunity to harvest honey; this was a befitting and sweet end to what was a life-changing activity for us,” he added.
Speaking on the collaboration with Sahara Energy Geneva, Tanguy Coustaline, Director, APIDAE, said the organization had in addition to its ecological commitment, launched a program of inclusion through beekeeping, which consists of training migrants or people in precarious situations to become beekeepers, while at the same time compensating them.
“It was this dual ecological and social commitment that convinced Sahara Group to support APIDAE by adopting two beehives in the Geneva countryside, “he added.
