New Zealand honey is world renowned and well regarded for a reason. Kiwi country has a clean and green image, rich and diverse flora, and magical Mānuka which all contribute to a roughly $5 billion industry (and growing).
Beyond the honey, propolis and wax are a team of fuzzy friends who also work for our farmers pollinating crops. The busy creatures have become part of the global ecosystem- whether we like it or not- and contribute to our environment in a more nuanced way than most other forms of ‘livestock’ (debate topic: honey VS methane).
Whether you are 'for' or 'against' honeybees in New Zealand, their popularity is on the rise publicly as well as commercially, with hive numbers roughly doubling in the last decade:
https://afb.org.nz/beekeeping-in-nz/
As technology advances, the power to provide innovative solutions to the apiculture industry is moving towards the public and passionate hobbyists. The key driver for the availability and access to real data is being delivered with digital systems. Let me briefly summarise:
1. Up until recently beekeeping data has been limited to relatively simple paper-based monitoring. Any real use of this information outside of the day-to-day tasks would need to be entered into spreadsheets by hand. Technology is now catching up to the needs to support this use case
2. With improved data, innovators are able to start experimenting in the field:
4. The entrepreneurial gates ease open wider, and the opportunity to provide something really valuable drives improvements
Beyond the honey, propolis and wax are a team of fuzzy friends who also work for our farmers pollinating crops. The busy creatures have become part of the global ecosystem- whether we like it or not- and contribute to our environment in a more nuanced way than most other forms of ‘livestock’ (debate topic: honey VS methane).
Whether you are 'for' or 'against' honeybees in New Zealand, their popularity is on the rise publicly as well as commercially, with hive numbers roughly doubling in the last decade:
https://afb.org.nz/beekeeping-in-nz/
The Hobbyists:
According to Apiculture New Zealand (APINZ) as of 2017 there was an estimated 5800 hobbyist beekeepers (10 hives or less) out of a total 8000 registered beekeepers – over 70%! The contributions of these “hobbyist” beekeepers cannot only be measured in physical output or economic measurements- the gift of local honey is almost impossible to quantify… so here is a non-exclusive list of broader contributions:- Pollinating services for local farmers
- Selling products at local markets
- Putting something sweet on the table
- Keeping kiwi gardens colourful
- Selling bees
As technology advances, the power to provide innovative solutions to the apiculture industry is moving towards the public and passionate hobbyists. The key driver for the availability and access to real data is being delivered with digital systems. Let me briefly summarise:
1. Up until recently beekeeping data has been limited to relatively simple paper-based monitoring. Any real use of this information outside of the day-to-day tasks would need to be entered into spreadsheets by hand. Technology is now catching up to the needs to support this use case
2. With improved data, innovators are able to start experimenting in the field:
- Measuring results of experiments (location, weather, feed, environment, hardware, and so on)
- Defining the value of specialized breeds, queens, or training thanks to measurable results
- Making more informed decisions using real-time data
3. As technology solutions reach the market, more will quickly follow. Industry leaders are already working on AI trained to recognise bees and monitor hive activity- what else could be done?
4. The entrepreneurial gates ease open wider, and the opportunity to provide something really valuable drives improvements
In summary
The potential of apiculture IP is quickly expanding, and passionate folk who want to contribute will be able to do so with increasing ease. Opportunities include: AI and machine learning; data driven industry insights; hardware innovations; breeding insights; and so on. The famous quote “if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it” of Peter Drucker keeps coming to mind.
As the industry becomes more available to innovation, passionate hobbyists will have the opportunity to be leaders of change and improvement. Much like our bees, there is a strength in numbers that will allow the many to contribute to the collective – profound, I know.
P.S.
We are currently working with Beekeepers to develop our own digital beekeeping products. Our grand vision is to enable hobbyists and commercial beekeepers alike with effective digital systems, and provide powerful data insights. If you are interested and would like to know more, please feel free to contact us:
info@engin.systems
As the industry becomes more available to innovation, passionate hobbyists will have the opportunity to be leaders of change and improvement. Much like our bees, there is a strength in numbers that will allow the many to contribute to the collective – profound, I know.
P.S.
We are currently working with Beekeepers to develop our own digital beekeeping products. Our grand vision is to enable hobbyists and commercial beekeepers alike with effective digital systems, and provide powerful data insights. If you are interested and would like to know more, please feel free to contact us:
info@engin.systems
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