“The University of the Balearic Islands wins the Golden Bee Award 2026” with a breakthrough against the invasive hornet

The relationship between Menorca European Region of Gastronomy 2022 and Slovenia European Region of Gastronomy 2021 goes back many years —to the preparation period prior to becoming benchmarks in food sovereignty— and was consolidated through a shared strategy of international outreach and gastrodiplomacy regarding protection and regeneration: biodiversity in general and pollinators in particular. This connection was especially strengthened thanks to the Golden Bee Award, a competition in which the island has maintained recurring participation: Pau Enric Serra Marín (2023 and 2024), Xec Gornès Moll and Miquel Anglada Marquès (2025), as well as Anna Traveset Vilaginés and Mar del Mar Leza Salord (2026). Thus, each year Menorca acts as both a catalyst and supporter of the nominations.

On the occasion of World Bee Day, last May 20, the Golden Bee Award was presented for the sixth time —consisting of a golden jewel, a title, and €28,000 allocated to research—. It was awarded to the Applied Entomology research group “Bee-etal Lab” of the University of the Balearic Islands for its commitment to eradicating the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) and controlling other invasive species across the archipelago. The prize was presented by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, H.E. Dr. Nataša Pirc Musar, to the lead researcher Dr. Mar del Mar Leza Salord, accompanied by her colleague Dr. Cayetano Herrera López. The jury had received thirteen nominations from ten countries: Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Egypt, and Togo.

Leza highlighted the importance of scientists, beekeepers, communities, and other stakeholders working together to achieve meaningful results. She also stressed that bees themselves work as a team, carrying pollen while spreading life across the planet. For her part, Pirc Musar concluded: “When we care for bees, we are in fact caring for the future of people, food security, and the common good.”