Apimondia is proudly participating in the 25th Brazilian Beekeeping Congress – CONBRAPI 2026, currently taking place in Florianópolis, Brazil.
Representing Apimondia at the event, Acting President Peter Kozmus attended the opening ceremony and several congress activities, meeting with Brazilian beekeepers, researchers, meliponiculturists, institutions, and international guests from across the beekeeping and pollinator community.
CONBRAPI 2026 has gathered more than 2,000 participants and features over 100 scientific and professional presentations dedicated to beekeeping, meliponiculture, pollinator protection, biodiversity, honey production, and sustainable agriculture. The opening ceremony alone welcomed around 1,000 attendees, demonstrating the strong engagement and enthusiasm of the Brazilian beekeeping sector.
During his opening address, Peter Kozmus congratulated the organizers for preparing such an impressive event and highlighted the importance of international cooperation, scientific exchange, and beekeeper education in addressing the global challenges facing bees and pollinators today.
Special emphasis was placed on Brazil’s unique role in global beekeeping and biodiversity conservation. Brazil is internationally recognized not only as a major honey-producing country, but also as one of the world leaders in meliponiculture — the management and conservation of native stingless bees. The coexistence of traditional beekeeping and meliponiculture represents an inspiring example of sustainable interaction between agriculture, biodiversity, and pollinator protection.
The exhibition area of the congress also reflects this diversity and innovation. Alongside modern beekeeping equipment, visitors can discover a wide range of hive systems and nesting solutions for stingless bees, which are increasingly used in pollination throughout Brazil. This sector is highly developed in the country and demonstrates the growing global importance of native pollinators.
An especially emotional moment for many participants was the reminder that Brazil last hosted an Apimondia Congress in 1989 in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian beekeepers warmly welcomed the return of an Apimondia President to Brazil after nearly four decades.
During the opening ceremony, Peter Kozmus also encouraged Brazil to consider applying to host a future Apimondia Congress, highlighting the country’s strong scientific community, rich biodiversity, and active beekeeping sector as excellent foundations for such an event.
The congress is taking place just days before World Bee Day on 20 May, providing an important opportunity to promote the global message of protecting bees and pollinators as essential guardians of biodiversity, food security, and healthy ecosystems.
Apimondia sincerely thanks the organizers of CONBRAPI 2026 for their warm hospitality and excellent organization, and looks forward to continuing strong cooperation with the Brazilian beekeeping community in the future.
📍 Florianópolis, Brazil
🔗 CONBRAPI 2026 Official Website
