New grants to support beekeepers around Romania’s Făgăraș Mountains

Conservation Carpathia Foundation, social enterprise Roadele Munților Făgăraș, and Zentiva Romania have launched a grant program for beekeepers working around the Făgăraș Mountains. Applications are open until November 27.

The program is available to beekeepers who already practice migratory beekeeping or intend to temporarily move their hives to the area. Eligible applicants must operate in designated communities across Argeș, Vâlcea, Sibiu, Brașov, and Dâmbovița counties.

Applicants must own between 80 and 150 legally registered bee colonies and meet the legal requirements for conducting their activities. They must already participate in the organic farming system or commit to beginning organic conversion within 12 months.

Funding may be used to modernize apiaries, purchase or repair hives, install photovoltaic systems, electronic scales, temperature sensors, or electric fences, and cover transport costs for migratory beekeeping in the Făgăraș Mountains.

The grants can also cover organic certification, glass packaging, marketing activities, and educational programs related to beekeeping.

“Beekeeping is a traditional activity in the communities around the Făgăraș Mountains and can continue to provide economic opportunities for local people,” said István Szabó, community relations director at Conservation Carpathia Foundation. “Through this program, we want to help beekeepers invest in their apiaries and adopt practices with a lower impact on nature.”

Each beneficiary must provide co-financing equal to at least 15% of the project’s eligible value, the foundation said. Projects must be implemented within six months and completed by June 30, 2027.

The applications will be assessed between November 30 and December 6, with grant agreements scheduled to be signed in December.

Founded in 2009, Conservation Carpathia Foundation works to restore natural ecosystems in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. It has protected more than 28,000 hectares of forests and alpine meadows from logging, planted over 4.5 million saplings across 1,991 hectares affected by deforestation, and established a 78,000-hectare area without sport or trophy hunting.