Tranquil and Serene: Beekeeping and Well-Being in the Italian Alps

Abstract

This study is about how beekeeping contributes to the well-being of beekeepers in the central Italian Alps. It draws on known elements of well-being to demonstrate how and why a specific activity—one that connects people both to nature and to other people—can contribute to well-being. Using interviews, participant observation, and a questionnaire and drawing on extended ethnographic fieldwork, the study demonstrates that beekeeping provides Alpine beekeepers with moments of happiness, a sense of meaning, experiences of flow and detachment, relief from stress, and opportunities for learning. Beekeeping also provides beekeepers with opportunities for social connection that are known to contribute to well-being. Beekeeping connects beekeepers to their bees and to the surrounding Alpine ecosystem and landscape in relationships of care and interdependence that support the well-being of bee, beekeeper, and ecosystem alike. Beekeeping has the potential to contribute to a sense of well-being even though beekeepers face challenges from a changing climate, the global spread of pests and diseases, and environmental degradation.