During a career of twenty years as extension apiculturist, I was privileged to have visited beekeepers around the world, including Africa, South America, the Caribbean and Europe. The latter experiences were the most formative, spending six month sabbaticals in both Italy (1989) and France (1997). Both experiences were enlightening and recorded some of what went on as the European Union was attempting to organize. The effect of this new union on agriculture, including beekeeping, would be impressive.
Recent issues with Greece and other European countries, however, with reference to what is being called The Great Recession of 2008, present huge challenges for the European Union. A book summarizing the issues surrounding beekeeping at the time the European Union was becoming established has been published.
