Proposed Framework Puts Commercial Beekeepers at Heart of Industry’s New “Church”

It’s a no thrills framework, but industry groups Apiculture New Zealand (ApiNZ) and New Zealand Beekeeping Inc (NZBI) want beekeepers to heartily weigh-in with their thoughts on their combined proposal for a new industry body to represent commercial beekeepers.

It hasn’t happened in a hurry, and it isn’t gold-plated, but the two groups have proven an ability to work together, consult with beekeepers, and even encourage a new generation of potential leaders to weigh in. Now though, they want to hear from more beekeepers about how the proposed model could be improved. The deadline to do so has even been extended to Thursday April 9.

On March 16 a ‘draft framework document’ was circulated. It included the potential purpose, function, membership details and governance structure to ‘act as "One Voice" for beekeeping with a focus on the Commercial aspects of beekeeping’. Further information on the document was also released to provide commentary and aid understanding.

Initially a deadline of March 27 was set to the industry to submit feedback, but that has since been extended to April 9. ApiNZ and NZBI have not been working to such short deadlines, with the industry-wide consultation now undertaken falling well behind their own initial timeline of ‘November-December’ for the task. There’s good reason for that they say as they have worked together with authorities during the pressing yellow-legged-hornet incursion response.

“Never waste a good crisis,” ApiNZ chief executive Karin Kos says of that work alongside NZBI on hornets.

“This has been excellent for putting the past aside and working as one for the sector and we have certainly been more effective.”

That sort of ‘unity’ was the buzz word coming out of an industry day in August last year in Christchurch where ApiNZ members voted to keep their group running, on a thin budget and largely funded by money from the Honey Industry Trust. From there progress turned to a series of further regional meetings with beekeepers last spring, alongside NZBI. Those meetings helped inform the framework and proposal now presented back to industry, following back and forward from a ten-person commercial beekeeper advisory group.

A Foundation

The framework released is far from a complete constitution which would be needed to form any new, united, industry group. It is also far from where those who have done the lion’s share of work putting it together – Kos and NZBI advisor Ian Fletcher – would like to see an ideal beekeeping industry body end up, but it could provide the “foundation” to build a functional and unified group.

“We are never going to keep everyone happy, we know that, but we also know we are starting from a small base and so this is the right thing to do to build trust and confidence,” Kos says. 

“What we are looking to put on the table is a structure that is a start,” Fletcher adds.

“It is for the members of the future organisation to decide where they want to go. We can’t tell people what the future holds and where to go with it, but we have a proposal which is realistic and voluntary because that is the reality we are in.”

What’s Realistic? Some Numbers

The proposal very much has commercial beekeepers at its heart, but missing is a definition of what a ‘commercial’ beekeeper is. That is for good reason Kos and Fletcher explain as at this stage they don’t want to be seen to draw a line in the sand over hive ownership levels in an industry that has no fixed definition to work from. It’s just one area in which they would like to hear beekeepers’ opinions they say.

Those who, therefore, self-define as commercial beekeepers would be asked to contribute an annual membership fee of $400 and those with more than 500 hives would be asked to contribute a further $1 per hive for every hive up to 4000 hives. It would mean the smallest commercial beekeepers would pay $400 a year to be a member, whereas the country’s largest operators would be on the hook for $3,900.

Alongside that full membership class of commercial beekeepers would be an ‘associate’ membership class who would not have voting rights, but would be asked to contribute financially and potentially contribute expertise through advisory groups. Proposed is an annual fee of $80 for non-commercial beekeepers, $200 for clubs, $500 for industry suppliers or research organisations, and $1000 for ‘companies involved in extraction, packing, exporting honey without beekeeping operations’.

It’s pie in the sky at this stage, but a revenue of $140,000 from memberships is budgeted in year one, off the back of 120 commercial beekeepers owning 80,000 hives, plus 70 associate members.

Who’s in Charge?

The self-defined ‘commercial beekeeper’ who stumps up at least $400 is set to hold all the voting rights, which would include electing a board of directors. A minimum of five and maximum of seven directors is proposed, two could be co-opted by the elected board. Those elected would need ‘substantial experience in commercial beekeeping’.

Staffing of the organisation would need to be considered by the board.

“We have to be prudent and understand it will be starting from a low level,” Kos says.

“The new organisation will have to decide what sort of support and resources they can afford accordingly. I would like to see some investment in it, because I know there is a level of admin required, but it is probably premature to determine at this stage.”

Two voting proposals have been floated and it is clearly a major area where the authors are seeking feedback to determine what will best meet the needs of the potential members and industry.

The framework suggests ‘starting from the premise that one commercial beekeeper (or beekeeping business) has one vote’, while also offering an alternate weighted voting structure of one vote for those paying for less than 500 hives, two votes for those between 500 and 1500 and three votes for those with 1500 or more.

Time to Get Building

After the extended April 9 deadline for consultation, the timeline for next steps includes a conference in June or July where it is hoped the new group can be ratified. Between now and then, the advisory group made up of commercial beekeepers, Liam Gavin, Jason Marshall, Rory O’Brien, Kowan Eyers, Cameron Martin, Jaime McRae and Jason Prior from the North Island, and South Island reps Matt Goldsworthy, Carolyn McMahon and Peter Ward, will again be consulted with and potentially form the spine of an ‘interim governance group’ to get through to a potential launch and full elections.

Recent years has seen beekeepers hesitant to fund industry groups. Kos says the projected new setup won’t be a “broad church” such as ApiNZ’s model which also includes full membership for non-commercial beekeepers and honey marketers, while Fletcher says it will broaden the NZBI church beyond that of just a “campaigning group” around specific issues.

Ultimately though it will be beekeepers who build and fit-out this “church” and that starts with doing their bit to get the framework correct, right now, with the close of consultation looming. The authors of the current documents say they will be listening.

“If we have learned anything through this process, it’s that you can’t tell beekeepers what to think,” Fletcher says.

Important documents and contact links

Information on proposed new beekeeping organisation

Draft proposed framework

Email address to submit feedback:  neworgfeedback@gmail.com