Café Scientifique - the importance of bees

The Importance of Bees in French Polynesia - Dr Karyne Rogers

Unlike the honey industry in New Zealand, the French Polynesian apiculture system is still relatively undeveloped with only a few hundred beekeepers across French Polynesia. However apiculture is beginning to grow and with it, issues around honey production and quality.

Dr Karyne Rogers from GNS Science has been working with the New Zealand honey industry for more than 15 years and has been awarded several industry awards for her support and research around manuka honey authentication. More recently she has been working with the bee industry in French Polynesia to characterise their honey and understand the unique floral differences across archipelagos. Her research has highlighted both strengths and weaknesses of the apiculture industry.

Join Karyne for an overview of the French Polynesian apiculture industry and the challenges beekeepers face in remote locations. She will draw analogies with the New Zealand honey industry and speak about the importance of bees for in agriculture and the importance of apiculture for economic self-sufficiency in rural French Polynesia. Because of biosecurity issues, tasting of her French Polynesian honey samples will not be possible, however there will be a range of New Zealand floral honeys available to taste during the talk.

‘La journee du miel‘ honey tasting exercise with French beekeepers in Papeete December 2016

Dr Karyne Rogers is an Environmental Geochemist at GNS Science in the National Isotope Centre. She specialises in stable isotopes and trace element fingerprinting of land, water, plants and animals. Her expertise is used widely for food authentication and country of origin traceability of high value food products, particularly honey, meat, vegetables and fruits, tea, rice and organic produce.

Dr Karyne Rogers testing New Zealand honey at GNS Science Alliance Française Café Scientfique @ CQ café explore the latest in French-related science and technology, including engineering, socio-economic sciences and the humanities.

All welcome. Held in English in a relaxed atmosphere. Some French may occur!

Organizing Committee Dr Steve Thompson Dr Geoffroy Lamarche Dr Caroline Holden Dr Steve Thompson Marleen van Roosmalen Dr Jessica Roche