Mission, Goals & Strategy

The mission of COLOSS is to improve the well-being of bees (in particular the western honey bee Apis mellifera) at a global level.

Our goals include:

• Advocating for bees, and their well-being, especially to government legislators and administrators
• Coordinating international research, including the development of standard research methods
• Disseminating knowledge and training related to improving the well-being of bees
• Promoting youth development and gender balance among those studying, or those actively involved in promoting, the well-being of bees

We work towards our mission and goals by structuring our association into themes of interest:

1. Pests & Pathogens (e.g. Varroa destructor & viruses)
2. Environment (e.g. Pesticides & nutrition)
3. Breeding & Conservation (e.g. diversity & disease resistance)

Furthermore, COLOSS endorses core projects and tasks forces – specific topics identified by our association to receive priority attention.

Core projects, encompassing the entire association:

• Colony Loss Monitoring
• The BEEBOOK
• Extension & Beekeeping

Task Forces, specific to a COLOSS Theme:

• Varroa destructor Control (Pests & Pathogens)
• CSI Pollen (Environment)
• Apitox (Environment)
• Sustainable Bee Breeding (Breeding & Conservation)

Networking & Dissemination Approaches

COLOSS does not directly fund research on the well-being of bees, but rather provides opportunities for networking and dissemination.

Annual General Meeting / Conference

• Convocation of the General Assembly of COLOSS to discuss the association’s activities and future directions, and a platform for honey bee health research updates

Workshops

• Small, intimate gatherings of members to discuss specific research projects and ideas relevant to COLOSS

Short-term Scientific Missions

• Visits to a collaborator’s laboratory to discuss research ideas or to learn novel research techniques. Preference given to students and early-stage researchers

Position Statements

• A single, solidary voice from COLOSS on issues influencing the well-being of bees.

Bee Health Announcements

• Distribution of bee health news, events, jobs, and scientific articles that are relevant to to stakeholders via the web, e-mail, and Facebook®