2022 saw another plentiful honey harvest at NATO Headquarters. Two beehives were first installed on the premises in 2020, with an additional two added since due to the success of the honey production.
Most of the honey is left for the bees to fuel their production and sustain their hibernation throughout the long winter months, but a total of 50kg of honey was harvested by the NATO beekeeper this year. This marks a slight decrease compared to last year due to different weather conditions affecting production levels.
For the third year running, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gifted ambassadors in the North Atlantic Council a jar of NATO honey each on Wednesday (14 December 2022). Around 350 jars of NATO honey were also donated to the NATO Charity Bazaar in November, where it quickly sold out. The proceeds from the sales were added to the year’s overall charity fundraising efforts, which will benefit 21 Belgian and international charities selected to receive funding in 2022.
The installation of the beehives is part of a wider ‘greening’ project at NATO. Earlier this spring a wildflower meadow was seeded, consisting of a mix of indigenous plants and flowers including poppies and corn flowers to encourage butterflies and birds. The honey bees play a vital role in the ecosystem, pollinating flowering plants, trees and crops.