Document type: scientific synthesis published in Frontiers in Animal Science
Authors: Formato Giovanni, Giannottu Elena, Roncoroni Cristina, Lorenzi Valentina, Brajon Giovanni
Preview:Apis mellifera, commonly known as the Western honeybee, plays a crucial role in providing ecosystem services, such as pollination, which are essential for biodiversity and environmental quality. Honey bees are the most economically valuable pollinator worldwide and impact a wide number of commercial crops and wild plants, some of which are threatened by extinction. Hive products are valuable not only for their economic benefits but also for their positive impact on human and animal health. Thanks to its pollination services, Apis mellifera is regarded as a flagship species among pollinators and serves as a biomarker for environmental quality. (...)
The Five Freedoms, initially conceived to protect intensively farmed mammals and birds, have evolved in response to changing public opinion and values regarding animals. In recent years, animal welfare science has expanded its focus from avoiding negative impacts to also include providing positive welfare states. Modern practices now emphasize good farming and product standards, based on the more comprehensive model (Five Domains Model). This approach aims for a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, rather than merely the absence of disease or infirmity, considering as significant the welfare of all the stakeholders involved (human, animals and the environment). The model not only addresses the basic needs of the animals, but also emphasizes that animal welfare is a continuum from negative to positive emotional states. It strives to enhance animal welfare by placing greater emphasis on the mental experiences of the animals. (...) Despite their remarkable abilities, honey bees have been given limited consideration in terms of welfare due to uncertainty about their capacity to experience mental states. However, based on numerous scientific reports, we believe that honey bees are capable of feelings and emotions, and they align perfectly with the Five Domains model, just like any other animal.
The New York Declaration recently acknowledged the realistic possibility of consciousness in invertebrates, including Apis mellifera, emphasizing the importance of considering their welfare based on scientific evidence. However, animal welfare is applicable once its meaning is clearly defined and practical actions are implemented to measure and to improve specific indicators. For Apis mellifera, the concept of welfare needs to be further defined, drawing from models that address contemporary threats and promote preventive approaches.
