APPiCOSTE Operational Group: Innovative digital tools for improving profitability in the beekeeping sector

Description of a cost structure applicable to beekeeping operations dedicated to honey production, valid for various operating models. Unlike other livestock sectors that have TECO networks, value chain studies (MAPA or Autonomous Communities), or ECREA reports, the beekeeping sector lacks publicly available and accessible references on production cost structures. This project addresses this fundamental deficiency by creating a solid reference framework that describes and categorizes not only the types of beekeeping operations and their characteristics, but also the costs applicable to the various models of Spanish beekeeping operations. This result not only improves sector transparency, but also lays the essential methodological groundwork for subsequent technological developments, positioning the beekeeping sector on equal footing with other agricultural sectors in terms of available technical and economic information.

Co-design, prototyping, development, and testing of a user-friendly, intuitive, and accessible digital tool for calculating the production cost of 1 kg of honey, applicable to various farming models. The current market and regulatory context means that beekeepers are interested in calculating their honey production costs to negotiate selling prices and ensure the viability of their operations. However, there is currently no tool that allows for this calculation in a simple and intuitive way. This project aims to provide an innovative and accessible solution to this gap, facilitating this calculation with a multi-stakeholder approach. A user-friendly and intuitive digital tool is being developed that allows for the individualized calculation of the production cost of 1 kg of honey on each farm. The tool, co-designed collaboratively with the operational group, directly addresses the sector's need for accurate information to negotiate selling prices and promote greater implementation of Law 12/2013 on the food chain in the beekeeping sector.

Co-design, prototyping, development, and testing of a data processing tool that calculates estimated average honey production costs for relevant regions and enables sectoral benchmarking for beekeeping operations dedicated to honey production. The lack of references and anonymized, aggregated cost information at the sector level prevents beekeepers from making comparisons that would allow them to improve their efficiency and profitability at the farm level. The project aims to offer an innovative tool that allows for simple and agile benchmarking, obtaining average production costs for relevant honey-producing regions and gaining a better understanding of the sector's structure. A tool is being developed that processes anonymized data to generate comparisons of average costs by region. This allows for contextualizing cost information, identifying opportunities for improvement and competitive advantages, and improves and facilitates compliance with the reporting and monitoring obligations of the CAP performance framework.

Development of a comprehensive sustainability model to ensure the technical and economic viability of the tools after the project, including their governance, funding, and a strategic adoption plan for scaling up their implementation across the sector. Experience shows that many excellent digital tools fall into disuse due to a lack of a strategic-operational plan to guarantee continuity and binding agreements to ensure their maintenance, updating, and promotion once the initial funding ends. The project establishes the necessary organizational, technical, and economic foundations for the developed tools to maintain their functionality after the project and progressively expand their user base until they become sector benchmarks. The proposed sustainability model includes collaborative governance among the consortium partners, diversified funding mechanisms, and a scaling strategy.

Beekeeping operations dedicated to honey production use a digital tool to calculate individual production costs for each operation and compare their costs with the averages of the regions in which they are located. Through a comprehensive dissemination, communication, and awareness-raising plan, it is ensured that the developed tools effectively reach their target audience: beekeepers throughout Spain. This outcome is particularly relevant because the usefulness of the tools that APPiCOSTE proposes to develop grows exponentially with the number of users: the more operations that calculate their costs and provide anonymized data, the more accurate the regional comparisons will be and the greater the value of the sector benchmarking.

Identity manual and style guide: including a defined logo and project templates in various formats. Supplemented with an A3 poster and roll-up banner featuring the project's image. Dedicated website: regularly publishing relevant content on the project's progress and main results. Dedicated social media accounts. Continuous creation and management. Audiovisual videos: to explain the project's fundamentals and facilitate its presence in other media. Newsletter. Layman Report: a brief publication outlining the project's fundamentals and main objectives, as well as the results obtained, particularly regarding the level of use of the developed tools by beekeeping operations. Innovation fact sheets: for transfer to the sector, explaining applications, results, and solutions in a clear and simple way. Dissemination events: as a demonstration and multiplier effect, to raise awareness of the project and its progress and to encourage the implementation of the proposed solutions. Connection with EU-Farm Book: interaction with the platform and hosting of project results.

Press releases. Articles and interviews in general publications and specialized magazines, both print and digital. Content and news for websites. Dissemination in media outlets specializing in the sector. Press office work, with a high level of specialization in agriculture and livestock and a significant impact on the beekeeping sector. Preparation and distribution of press releases and articles, and management of interviews with project spokespeople.

Content marketing strategy across specialized media in the sector (online and print). Creation, publication, and distribution of useful and relevant content to attract and build trust with our target audience. The project's credibility will be enhanced through valuable content, whether original and exclusive or curated. A video in a modern and engaging format will be produced, explaining the project's conclusions and results. Content marketing will boost SEO and provide material for social media posts. The reach of social media posts will be increased to promote the project with sponsored posts, specifically targeted to profiles with interests in beekeeping. Credibility will be further strengthened by attending and promoting the project at external events. Participation in these events will encourage the use of the individualized cost calculation application, enabling qualitative feedback on the benchmarking tool.