BeeConnected website developed with 101 digital partners

30 August 2024

Over the past few years, our flagship software initiative, BeeConnected, which connects beekeepers with farmers has been developed with our digital partners 101 Websites & Apps - read about it here

UK farmers and beekeepers have a longstanding tradition of working together to protect pollinators. To comply with best agricultural practices, farmers must notify local beekeepers 48 hours in advance of applying certain crop protection products. In the past, the lack of a consistent, efficient method for notifications often made this requirement challenging. To address these difficulties, the BeeConnected website was launched in 2016, providing a free, web-based system designed to help communication between farmers and beekeepers.

Before the launch of BeeConnected, farmers intending to use insecticides notified their regional Spray Liaison Officer (SLO), who would then advise nearby beekeepers. This process was time-consuming and inefficient, relying heavily on each SLO’s personal networks and local knowledge. The advent of GDPR added further complexities, with privacy concerns around handling personal data. In addition, the SLO service primarily served British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) members, leaving others, including an increasing number of new hobbyists, unaware of notifications.

The brief for the BeeConnected website focused on addressing the challenges of the traditional notification system, ensuring the new web-based approach would offer an efficient, user-friendly and secure means of direct communication between farmers and beekeepers, removing the need for a middleman.

Read more about the development of the system here on the 101 website