Anti-acne treatments, agriculture... In Mazaugues, this observatory specializing in bees is celebrating its 10th anniversary with promising scientific work.

The genesis of the French Observatory of Apidology (OFA) is, above all, that of a man and a realization. On the cusp of his sixtieth birthday, after a distinguished career in the world of fashion and luxury (he notably worked for Chanel and Lanvin, and was Managing Director at Christian Lacroix), Thierry Dufresne… became a grandfather.

" I said to myself: what kind of world am I going to leave to my grandchildren? What will I have to say to them if one day they ask me: 'What have you done for our generation?' ... I am aware that my generation was privileged, unlike today's youth. So I decided to get involved and, above all, to act for an essential environmental cause, to revive hope, which is so lacking. "

Very quickly, the question of the survival of bees, which was already in the news, became a priority. "It seemed obvious to me. However, it was a world that was completely foreign to me, and where I therefore had no legitimacy. So I followed a beekeeping training course for two years, and then the OFA was born in Mazaugues. "

Initially, the organization focused its efforts on studying bee behavior. " This is where it became clear to us that it was necessary to breed queens, so that we could change them in the hives earlier than nature would: as with humans, infertility is gaining ground among bees, and queens need to be changed every 2 to 3 years, compared to 5 years if we let nature take its course... "

From the outset, the OFA also invested in raising awareness among the general public, particularly among young people. It also expanded internationally, particularly in Rwanda, " a land of exceptional primary forests ."

For several years, the observatory has been engaged in scientific studies on propolis (the resinous material foraged by bees) " whose initial results are proving very promising... If this is confirmed, a whole new medical field, but also phytosanitary, could open up. With an incredible wink: We were looking for how to save the bees, and it is they who will perhaps finally help us save biodiversity and humanity! " laughs Thierry Dufresne.

So much for the present. And the future? " Before launching new projects, with the desire to always remain avant-garde, we must complete those in progress, particularly on propolis; "

However, Thierry Dufresne is aware that " the future of the OFA will involve ever-increasing internationalization. This project only makes sense if it is shared with the entire world ."

"We should no longer say 'propolis' but rather 'THE propolis' , as they are so diverse and have so many different characteristics ." Florent Rouvier, a biological engineer at the OFA, and Jean-Michel Brunel, a researcher at the CNRS, are conducting " very promising " research, according to Thierry Dufresne, on propolis.

" It has been used since Antiquity, but propolis, which bees produce to insulate and, above all, sanitize their hives, has never been the subject of comprehensive scientific studies ."

The scientists therefore embarked on " the creation of a unique propolytheque, bringing together samples collected by OFA teams on every continent of the world ." Among the lessons learned, " we saw that even in a territory like Rwanda, no bigger than Brittany, we obtain very large variations depending on the samples. But depending on the source of each sample, the results remained the same: they are therefore reproducible ."

The scientists went through the steps—not easy—to obtain consistent and reproducible results from the physicochemical characterizations of each sample. These propolises are then tested on "four major families of bacteria ," and the most significant results, whether antibacterial or antifungal, are noted, and the molecules isolated.

The discovery of a propolis from Rwanda, " with exceptional antibacterial properties " has thus led to the creation of a cream " which gives spectacular results against acne , according to the first dermatological tests ".

Another practical application, " a phytosanitary treatment for vines, Propocarb, has been under trial for 4 years. It is currently giving very good results, at least as good as those based on so-called conventional products. This opens up exciting prospects for our soils, which are not doing well ."

Other uses " remain to be discovered, which is why our propolytheque will be available as open source, for researchers worldwide ." This includes research into cancer, or even bioresistance, " which could, quite discreetly, kill up to 40 million people worldwide by 2050, according to a study published in The Lancet ." Just that...

Another benefit: " If serious economic opportunities exist, humanity will be more considerate towards bees... Ecology and the economy must move forward together ," concludes the president of the OFA.

How can we find a more objective indicator than the bees themselves? Arnaud Dufresne, Thierry's son and current director of the OFA, " in a spirit of transition and continuation of action over time ," is actively working on a " biodiversity indicator, requested by many companies to be able to estimate their impact and its evolution ."

The OFA isn't the only organization grappling with this problem. " We know that many people are trying to find the best indicator. Often, with complex methodologies, relying on technology and/or AI. We propose basing it on... bees, quite simply. "

The indicator is based on " very objective" indicators, starting with an inventory of the wild bee species present. There are more than 2,000, and some are very sensitive to environmental conditions; their presence is a strong marker ."

The analysis of the waxes produced by bees " is also a very precise tool: the waxes absorb all the products present around the hive, including those that have no place there. It is an ultra-objective indicator, and moreover totally incontestable: we cannot influence the bees that are foraging! "

Finally, an inventory of floral diversity is also carried out, " taking into account both the quantity and the diversity of nectarine species present ."

By repeating these actions over three-year cycles, " we have an extremely reliable indicator, which allows us to establish a score, but also a valuable action plan, for committed companies wishing to quantify their impact on living things ."

With Valhor, the Interprofessional Organization of Horticulture, Floristry and Landscaping which brings together around 50,000 businesses, the OFA launched in 2017 the operation "Flowers for Bees" , these famous sachets of honey-producing flower seeds that can be found almost everywhere these days.

The OFA and Valhor are also working upstream of the garden center sector, to promote the promotion of locally adapted honey-producing varieties. " 1,500 garden centers in France are participating ," says Thierry Dufresne.

In 2019, the "L'école des abeilles" operation was born, aimed at schools – and nurseries – as well as businesses. " The idea is to entrust educational tools to teachers, for students, but also to employees, whose company would agree to detach them from work for a day to allow them to intervene themselves in classes, often those of their children ."

A few days ago, the operation moved to a Monegasque school, accompanied by Prince Albert, " a loyal and valuable supporter since the first day ."

Again, the idea, both literally and figuratively, is to sow seeds that will spread through space and time...

The OFA is a partner of the APIcité label, supported by the National Union of Beekeepers of France (UNAF). " It's a label that honors communities committed to protecting bees, and it's becoming increasingly popular ," summarizes Arnaud Dufresne.

Concretely, this could translate, for example, into banning the use of phytosanitary products in public gardens, installing beehives in towns, or even setting up awareness programs.

In the Var region, according to the APIcité website, two municipalities stand out with "three bees": Six-Fours and La Garde. Néoules has two bees, while Les Arcs, Roquebrune/Argens, La Farlède, and La Valette have one bee, a sign of their commitment to this cause. In the Alpes-Maritimes region, the only community to receive this distinction is the Côte d'Azur Metropolis, with two bees.

In a broader sense, the OFA " works a lot with voluntary communities: they can have a considerable impact on the ground ."

Since awareness-raising aims to reach as many people as possible, " it is useful for us to have renowned ambassadors who participate in publicizing our actions. This is the case of Sonia Rolland, particularly for our training program for beekeepers around the world, Women for Bees , and it is also the case of Angelina Jolie who, by agreeing to be photographed with bees, gave us an invaluable gift," recalls Thierry Dufresne.

" This is also the case for Prince Albert, who has been helping us since day one, who was present in 2015 at the inauguration of our apidology house, and who is still present and involved today. "

The NGO also benefits from " the financial support of several large companies. They do so because we share common values, and we have even been able to be selective in retaining those whose convictions are deeply rooted. Thus, Babylou, Moët-Hennessy, Yoplait, Botanic and all those who support us have already proven in the past their sincere commitment to biodiversity ."