Center for Bee Studies and Protection - CEPA

• Grant number: 25/07156-3
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Science Centers for Development
• Start date: March 01, 2026
• End date: February 28, 2031
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Tiago Mauricio Francoy
• Grantee: Tiago Mauricio Francoy
• Host Institution: Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Paulo
• Principal investigators: Kayna Agostini ; Lívia Soman de Medeiros ; Michelle Manfrini Morais Vátimo ; Miriam Sannomiya ; Verónica Marcela Guridi
• Associated researchers: Antonio Mauro Saraiva ; Bruno Alves Rocha ; Bruno de Carvalho Albertini ; Celi Rodrigues Chaves Dominguez ; David De Jong ; Dib Karam Junior ; Elen Cristina Faht ; Eliane Vieira ; Fabiana Curtopassi Pioker Hara ; Fabiana Elaine Casarin dos Santos ; Fernando Barbosa Júnior ; Harumi Hojo ; Isabel Cristina Italiano ; Kátia Peres Gramacho ; Leonardo Dias Meireles ; Natalia Pirani Ghilardi-Lopes ; Patricia Targon Campana ; ROGER CLIVE HIORNS ; ROSELY APARECIDA LIGUORI IMBERNON ; Sheina Koffler ; Tânia Araújo Viel

Abstract

The Center for Bee Studies and Protection (CEPA) is an interdisciplinary, innovative, and long-term initiative dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of bees in Brazil. Its creation is justified by the urgent need to address the global decline of pollinators and the resulting threat to food security, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. CEPA aims to translate technical and scientific knowledge into concrete actions that generate environmental, social, and economic impact, while also contributing to the development of public policies for pollinator conservation and the strengthening of meliponiculture. The initiative is structured around three interrelated lines of action: 1. Environmental education for the development of sustainable cities; 2. Participatory biodiversity mapping and functional landscaping; and 3. Characterization and bioprospecting of bee products. The first line focuses on the training of basic education teachers and meliponists, the production of evidence-based educational materials, and the expansion of citizen science initiatives in schools. At least 300 teachers and 1,000 meliponists are expected to be trained, directly impacting 10,000 students through the use of activity books and teaching sequences in more than 50 schools. In addition, a permanent exhibition on pollinators, the 'Knowledge Station', will be established on the USP Leste campus. The second line will employ the BeeKeep digital platform to promote participatory mapping of bee biodiversity, generating at least 20,000 records. Plant species in urban green areas will also be mapped, with proposals for ecological corridors and guidelines for functional and neuro-landscaping. The data generated are expected to support the development of public policies for urban biodiversity conservation. The third line of action focuses on the physicochemical, microbiological, and functional characterization of honey, pollen, and propolis. Analyses will cover at least ten bee species and include authenticity and traceability testing to support official product certification. The biotechnological potential of intracolonial microbiota will also be investigated, fostering technological innovation, patent development, and technology transfer to the productive sector. CEPA will be supported by a robust institutional structure involving universities, schools, NGOs, companies, and governmental agencies. Its multidisciplinary team includes experts from a wide range of fields, allowing the center to promote integration between science, education, social innovation, and public policy formulation. CEPA is poised to become a strategic national hub for the conservation of bees and the advancement of sustainable development. (AU)