Bees saved by the discovery of a nutrient

Jean Zeid 06:53, April 9, 2024

It's time for Jean Zeid's Positive Initiatives, the chronicle of daily innovations. John, hello.

This is the good idea of ​​the Lyon-based company Oligofeed, which has just received the Tech for Future 2024 Prize, a startup competition. Bees are back with spring to forage and pollinate, they who have an essential role in agriculture. 75% of global production of food crops depends at least in part on their action, according to the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety.

So, it would not be bad to pay attention to it and for this purpose Oligofeed has developed a micronutrient capable of strengthening their immune system.

You are right to call it a miracle because according to Oligofeed, their product can reduce the mortality rate of bees by up to 80%. At the end of winter 2022/2023, an animal health epidemiological surveillance platform recorded 25% losses including 17.5% dead colonies among all French beekeepers. And among the causes, there are parasites, climate change, the disappearance of hedges, Asian hornets and even pesticides. In short, that's a lot of predators.

To make this food, it took eight years of laboratory research carried out in particular by a researcher from the Lavoisier Institute in Versailles, Sébastien Floquet, who developed this micronutrient by chance or almost. Working unsuccessfully in the hydrogen sector, he turned to biology and discovered a food supplement based on molybdenum which he tested on several animal species, including bees. And bingo, the first tests are conclusive.

With Aneta Ozienranska, founder of Oligofeed, after this first trial they will carry out a test in 1,300 hives installed in France, Moldova, Greece, Spain, and further afield in the United States to ensure that this food has the same virtues across the entire planet and in all climates. And they discovered that their molybdenum reduces winter mortality of bees by up to 80% in certain regions, notably in California. In turn, pollination is growing, honey production is also growing and partnerships with around ten beekeepers are being established.  

Although this nutrient is already patented, the solution is currently in the process of being approved.

In Europe and the United States. These are long processes, and you have to prove your innovation in a thousand copies. and above all demonstrate that it is not toxic, perhaps this summer or at the start of the next school year.

Oligofeed, which is preparing, from production to packaging, a marketing in mid-2025 for its miracle micronutrient for a price which has not yet been completely determined. He too may be miraculous, but that is less certain.