Beekeeping Academy
Aims to create awareness about the presence of honey bees in the ecosystem; increase quality and efficient production by establishing a science-based, accessible, and inclusive beekeeping education ecosystem; ensure the sustainability of the beekeeping profession, building a healthy future with conscious generations; raise consumer awareness to make bee products an element of quality living, and disseminate knowledge to its employees and all stakeholders,
"Science-Oriented Knowledge and Awareness Platform"
Bees are among the most important creatures that have ensured the continuity of life for millions of years. Thanks to the pollination they carry out by visiting thousands of flowers every day, food production, biodiversity, and natural balance are maintained. However, climate change, environmental pollution, pesticide use, and habitat loss are increasingly threatening bees. Protecting bees means protecting not only them but also the future of life.
As Balparmak, we have been acting with awareness of this responsibility since 1980; we support beekeeping and raise awareness in society.
With this approach, we continue to contribute to the future of bees and work to carry beekeeping into the future through the training programs, social responsibility projects, and sustainability efforts we have implemented.
Because we know that if there are bees, there is a future.
Balparmak Beekeeping Academy
In 2018, with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Balparmak established the Balparmak Beekeeping Academy to bring young people and women into the beekeeping sector. The academy's goals are to rejuvenate beekeeping, introduce women and young people to the profession, inform existing beekeepers about technical beekeeping methods, and make a tangible contribution to rural development by increasing quality and efficiency. The Beekeeping Academy training consists of three different models: remote access, on-site theoretical and practical training, and mobile training. The training, prepared by expert academics, combines theoretical knowledge with practical applications in the field, contributing to the development of the sector.
Having reached thousands of beekeepers to date, the Balparmak Beekeeping Academy has received many awards for its contributions to the sector.
- 2022 Sustainable Business Awards "Social Impact and People-Oriented Category",
- 2021 "Women-Friendly Brands Consumer Special Award",
- 2020 Felis Awards "Social Responsibility and Sustainability Section – Other Social Issues Category,
- 2019 Sustainable Food Summit "World Food Day Award"
PAST TO PRESENT EFFORTS FOR THE SECTOR
Balparmak My Beekeeper Project
With our "My Beekeeper" project, which we launched in 2015, we made the honey supply process more transparent, traceable, and sustainable. Within the scope of the project, we recorded the processes carried out with thousands of beekeepers and suppliers, ensuring effective management in the supply chain.
We strengthened quality control processes by making honey samples obtained from different regions of Turkey traceable in a digital environment. With this approach, we contributed to the protection of natural resources and created value for our business partners.
This work of ours in the field of sustainable honey supply was awarded in the "Supply Chain Management" category within the scope of the Sustainable Business Awards.
Beekeeper and Balparmak Hand in Hand Project
As Balparmak, we implemented the beekeeper training programs we have been conducting since 2004 under the project "Beekeeper-Balparmak Hand in Hand for Quality Honey Production." With the project we carried out to increase the quality of honey produced in Turkey, we offered professional training to beekeepers by our R&D team and expert academics in the field.
Within the scope of the project, we created a consulting structure where beekeepers can receive support when they need it. In the first phase, we focused on improving pine honey production processes; with pilot studies we started in the Muğla region, we reached more than 500 beekeepers in 14 villages. At the same time, we conducted field inspections in thousands of beehives, providing guidance for more efficient and healthy production. With the R&D studies carried out, we contributed to the promotion of pine honey nationally and internationally.
Beekeeping Training
In line with our leadership in the sector, we conducted training programs for beekeepers in different regions of Turkey. We reached over 1,200 beekeepers in programs organized in Adana, Mersin, Balıkesir, Sakarya, and Izmir.
In the training sessions, we shared information on many topics, from modern beekeeping techniques to food safety, from the use of bee products to legislation. At the end of the program, we encouraged quality in production by supporting successful beekeepers with the "Sustainable Quality in Honey Awards" we organized.
World Bee Day
Bees are among the oldest living creatures on Earth. These creatures, whose existence dates back much further than human history, have been one of the most important elements in maintaining the balance of nature for hundreds of thousands of years.
Bees lived on this planet long before human history. Without these creatures, which have maintained the balance of nature for hundreds of thousands of years, pollination would not occur; plants could not grow, animals could not feed, and human life could not be sustained.
This is not a metaphor, but a scientific fact.
Sharing this truth with more people and explaining the indispensable role of bees in the ecosystem to people of all ages is a responsibility for Balparmak. We see World Bee Day, celebrated every year on May 20th, as one of the most important opportunities to make this responsibility visible.
World Bee Day, celebrated every year on May 20th, is an awareness day declared to draw global attention to the importance of bees for the ecosystem and human life.
The reason for choosing this date is the birthday of Anton Janša, the Slovenian beekeeper considered the founder of modern beekeeping. This decision, adopted by a unanimous vote of 115 countries at the UN General Assembly on December 20, 2017, is directly linked to the UN's understanding of biodiversity conservation within the framework of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
As Balparmak, protecting bees is not just an activity unique to World Bee Day; it is a commitment we maintain throughout the year.
Through the Balparmak Bee Academy, which we established with the support of the EBRD, we have reached more than 8,000 beekeepers to date. In cooperation with the TEMA Foundation, we have planted 40,000 saplings in the last four years. With the "Think Like a Bee for Nature" project, which we implemented with Migros, we have brought more than 3,000 children together with nature in two years. In the last four years, we have introduced about 9,000 children to the world of bees at the Balparmak Campus.
All these efforts come together under the umbrella of "If There Are Bees, There Is a Future." Because protecting bees is protecting the future.
Projects for children
At Balparmak, we want future generations to be aware of the importance of bees in sustainable living.
Think Like a Bee for Nature Painting Project
With the "Think Like a Bee for Nature" painting project, which we launched to contribute to raising generations sensitive to nature, we encourage children to think about and produce solutions for nature conservation. Within the scope of this project, carried out in cooperation with the TEMA Foundation and Migros, we aim for children to recognize the strong bond between bees and the ecosystem at an early age.
In the first year of the project, we reached over a thousand children from all over Turkey with the question "If you had the power of 60,000 bees, what would you do for the world?" As children expressed their thoughts through their paintings, we turned every participation into a concrete contribution to nature and made this impact permanent with a commemorative forest created.
Within the scope of the project, which we aim to make traditional, in 2026, we are asking children the question, "If you were an eco-friendly bee, what would you do for the world?" With their answers to this question, we support children's imagination and environmental awareness; by donating a sapling for every submitted drawing, we connect their dreams with nature.
We conceptualize the project not as a competition, but as an awareness movement. Therefore, we consider every child's contribution equal and valuable, and we make the connection children establish with nature visible by exhibiting all their works.
With the "Think Like a Bee for Nature" project, we contribute to children growing up as individuals who approach nature with love; we continue to work for the future of bees and the ecosystem.
To participate in the project and visit the virtual exhibition, click here.
Balparmak Campus Tour
As Balparmak, we host students at our campus; we offer an educational and enjoyable experience where they can get to know the world of bees up close. During these visits, carried out within the scope of the "If There Are Bees, There Is a Future" education program, children discover the journey of honey from nature to the table, and also have the opportunity to observe an R&D center on site.
In the first part of the program, children are introduced to the world of bees with an entertaining narrative, accompanied by an expert. While learning about the role of bees in the sustainability of nature, they discover the importance of protecting nature, acting together, and healthy lifestyle habits.
Continuing the visit, students examine the Balparmak R&D Center closely, observe laboratory work, and learn about the quality and analysis stages in the honey production process. In this way, they experience and comprehend how natural and reliable products are meticulously examined.
Throughout the program, we provide an environment where children can freely ask questions, make observations, and reinforce what they have learned. This experience contributes to them establishing a strong bond with bees, nature, and production processes.
With the Balparmak Campus Tour, we support children in growing up as more conscious, curious, and sensitive individuals towards nature. Because we know that if there are bees, there is a future.
To participate in the Balparmak Campus tour, after filling out the form, you can create your reservation by selecting a suitable date. We would be pleased to host you at our campus.
If There Are Bees, There Is a Tomorrow
As Balparmak, with the "If There Are Bees, There Is a Tomorrow" project, which we implemented in cooperation with the TEMA Foundation and the Ministry of National Education, we aimed to draw attention to the importance of bees for ecosystem diversity and the sustainability of life. Our project was awarded the Achievement Award in the Corporate Social Responsibility category in 2020.
Within the scope of the project, which consists of training, events, and digital content for children and adults; we especially brought together 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-grade students with training covering two class hours. In these training sessions, we explained why bees, which play a critical role in the reproduction of a large part of plants, are indispensable for the continuity of life.
We reached adults through awareness stands set up in 30 provinces, "In the Footsteps of Bees" bicycle tours organized in 10 provinces, and the website prepared for the project. Throughout the three-year project, we reached a total of 70,000 people in 50 provinces, 46,500 of whom were children.
We also brought awareness to the field with events organized within the scope of World Bee Day; with bicycle tours in different cities, we explained the importance of bees for nature and human life to broad masses.
With the "If There Are Bees, There Is a Tomorrow" project, we contributed to strengthening social awareness for the protection of bees and made the bond established with nature more visible.
To watch educational videos about the project and footage from our events, click here.
Breakfast Mornings, Healthy Tomorrows
As Balparmak, with our innovative product series Honeybana Balparmak and the "Breakfast Mornings, Healthy Tomorrows" project implemented in cooperation with TOÇEV, we aimed to draw attention to the importance of regular breakfast habits in children.
Throughout the project, we visited primary schools in Istanbul, Balıkesir, Denizli, Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Nevşehir, Kars, and Bartın, reaching 16,000 students. We conveyed the importance of a regular breakfast to children in an entertaining and educational way through animated films.
At the same time, we organized training for parents, addressing the role of eating habits in the healthy development of children. In the evaluations made after the training, we observed that parents' awareness of the importance of a regular breakfast increased.
With this project, we contributed to children gaining healthy lifestyle habits and supported families to be consciously involved in this process.
Registration Form
Please fill in your details completely.
Application Received!
Your registration has been successfully completed.
