Europe's largest beekeeping cooperative presents its first Sustainability Report at TuttoFood 2026. This document goes beyond ESG reporting and illustrates a cooperative model founded on biodiversity, traceability, female leadership, and the promotion of Italian honey.
Some reports serve to measure. And others, beyond numbers, seek to convey an identity. It is in this second direction that CONAPI-Mielizia's first Sustainability Report moves, previewed at TuttoFood 2026 with a title that directly recalls the heart of the cooperative: “Our flight towards sustainability”.
A journey that begins with bees, but reaches much further. Because behind the honey that reaches retail shelves and consumers' tables is a community of beekeepers, a short and controlled supply chain, widespread local presence, and a business vision that strives to balance production, the environment, and social impact.
Founded in 1979, CONAPI is now the largest beekeeping cooperative in EuropeIt brings together over 600 beekeepers, oversees more than 100 hives across Italy, and protects approximately 5 billion bees. Annual production stands at around 3 tons of honey, including conventional and organic, while turnover reaches €23,5 million, with an expected growth of 5,5% this year.
These numbers reflect a significant industrial scale, but in the case of CONAPI, they take on a further meaning: that of an integrated supply chain "from flower to jar," where beekeeping members exclusively supply the harvested product and the cooperative guarantees its traceability, quality, and identity throughout the entire value chain.
“Presenting our first Sustainability Report at TuttoFood 2026 is a moment of great significance for us,” says Nicoletta Maffini, general director of CONAPI-Mielizia. "It's not simply a matter of reporting numbers and performance: it's the story of who we are, how we work every day with our beekeeping members, and what we want to represent for the future of Italian and European beekeeping."
The document, covering the financial year July 2024-June 2025, outlines the cooperative's key impact areas: governance, people, environment, biodiversity, and local area. CONAPI has developed this process by directly engaging members, employees, customers, agents, financial institutions, suppliers, associations, and partners. The data relating to suppliers is particularly significant, with 100% of them participating in the materiality assessment process.
The model is based on cooperative governance that remains firmly anchored to its membership base. The Board of Directors is composed of 91% cooperative beekeepers, while the members numbered 238 in the reference year: 113 organic and 125 conventional. This structure strengthens the bond between producers, processors, and those who bring the product to market.
Alongside the cooperative dimension, the Report also highlights human capital. CONAPI has a strong female presence, accounting for approximately 60% of total resources, and a young demographic, with nearly 70% of its employees between 30 and 50 years of age. The company's leadership reflects this balance, with a female-dominated general management team and women leading key business areas.
The environmental chapter is naturally centralDirectly managing over 100 beehives contributes to the protection of biodiversity and large-scale pollination in Italy. But sustainability also comes from process and product innovation: among the examples cited, the Doypack format allows for up to 98% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to glass.
The process also includes initiatives such as the protocol “Approved by CONAPI Bees”, designed to certify the commitment of companies and organizations to environmental protection, and outreach projects aimed at schools, families, and local communities, such as the Bee and Honey Park and the “Living with Bees” exhibition.
For CONAPI, sustainability also extends to territorioThe cooperative model includes educational activities, collaborations with the Third Sector, initiatives to combat food waste, support for inclusive sports, and local cultural projects. This commitment strengthens the cooperative's role in the Apennine region where it is based and in the territories where its beekeeping members operate.
"We strongly believe in the values of trust, transparency, and quality," emphasizes Maffini. "Since our inception, we have worked to create a solid foundation on which to build a sustainable business. This first Report represents an important step in our commitment to people, the planet, and the communities in which we operate."
At TuttoFood 2026, the ESG story intertwines with the product story. Mielizia presents its range of Italian honeys As an expression of a traceable and controlled national supply chain, it also brings to the fair some new products designed to capture new consumer trends. These include honey and chili pepper, designed for savory and gourmet pairings, and the new Millefiori Liquido, developed for convenience and versatility.
The innovation arrives in a mature but still strategic category. According to NielsenIQ data reported by the cooperative, in the last 52 weeks ending March 29, 2026, the honey market in large-scale retail trade generated sales of €156,7 million, 14,8 million kilos, and 34,5 million packages. The sector is essentially stable, with a slight decline in value and volume, but a slight increase in unit sales.
However, the issue of the evaluation of Italian honey in the modern channel. "Italian honey is recognized abroad as an excellent agri-food product, but its real value and potential are not yet recognized in national large-scale retail trade," observes Maffini.
This is where Mielizia's strategy seeks to combine two dimensions: on the one hand, quality, Italian origin, and traceability; on the other, innovation and expanding its use cases. In a stable market, growth increasingly depends on the ability to convey the value of the supply chain and make honey contemporary, without distorting its identity.
The first Sustainability Report does not therefore close a journey, but opens a new one. CONAPI has already announced a new ESG reporting plan for 2027, covering the 2025-2026 agricultural year. This step confirms the cooperative's commitment to making its impact increasingly measurable and communicable.
