Digital project for the protection of bees will help farmers and beekeepers work together

The project of Hristina Hristova from Varna, which will contribute to the protection of bees, won the grand prize in this year's edition of the “Innovation in Action” academy. The initiative has been held for the third time since 2012 and is organized by “Solvay Sodi”, with the special participation of “Aurubis Bulgaria”.

"Social Network for Agricultural Producers" by Hristina Hristova

According to contemporary research, the extinction of bees is due to the combined effect of three main types of stress factors: parasites, infectious agents, and pesticides. The product developed by the young woman from Varna offers a solution to one of the main problems in the global decline of bees, namely the use of pesticides whose ingredients harm the health of bee colonies.

The winner among the six finalists in this year's edition of the “Innovation in Action” academy is Hristina Hristova from Varna with her project for creating a communication platform between farmers and beekeepers when treating agricultural crops with plant protection products. Hristina’s idea is related to the requirement that farmers notify beekeepers online within a radius of 3 km when spraying is about to take place. Initially, all contact details of apiaries on the territory of the country must be entered into a database, because a large part of them are still not registered. According to her, the business model of the project can be based on subscription fees paid by beekeepers and farmers. In addition, it can generate revenue from advertising, as its target group is very narrow and companies offering agricultural or beekeeping equipment can advertise there. The platform can also be implemented in other countries.

The award for Hristina Hristova is participation in the summer program of the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management in Brussels in 2017.

The “Innovation in Action” academy has been held since 2012 under the slogan “Make the world a better place”. It involves mainly final-year students or graduates from the last five years. The selected candidates undergo training conducted in the form of workshops in Sofia and Varna and online sessions. The academy is competitive in nature, evaluating sustainable, innovative ideas that contribute to the economic and social development of society.