The importance of pollinating insects in the reproductive cycle and the alarm over their dramatic reduction in natural and man-made environments are well-known topics in the public domain. Less well known are the often irreversible environmental and human consequences of this loss. Through the stories of the beekeepers of the Lagoon and the city of Venice, this book tells the metamorphosis of the lagoon landscape, the impact of human activities, and the consequences of industrial agriculture and its long supply chains, suggesting a broader reflection on the food systems of the future.

Rethinking the ways in which we relate to the environment and the importance of weaving new intra- and interspecies alliances become necessities that can no longer be avoided. Apis mellifera thus becomes a spokesperson for universal issues such as global warming, the transformation of natural environments and the loss of biodiversity, inviting us to take a stand.

Author

Chiara Spadaro, environmental journalist and anthropologist, is PhD student in Geographical Studies at the University of Padua and works on food policies in lagoon environments. She has been writing for the monthly 'Altreconomia' for more than ten years and is involved in communication for the third sector and local authorities. She is the author of several books, including Plastica addio. Fare a meno della plastica: istruzioni per un mondo e una vita zero waste (2019) and Canapa revolution. Tutto quello che c’è da sapere sulla cannabis (2018), both published by Altreconomia.