BeeOdiversity: biodiversity as a solution

BeeOdiversity is a Belgian company specialized in the restoration of biodiversity and the reduction of industrial and agricultural pollution, acting in port cities. Their actions accompany the sustainable development of port cities on three of the objectives of the 2030 Agenda of the AIVP: N°8. City - port interface, N°9. Health and quality of life, N°10. Protecting biodiversity. Dr. Bach Kim Nguyen & Michael van Cutsem, founders of the company, share with us the motivations which led the company to join AIVP. BeeOdiversity is an AIVP member since January 2022 AIVP - You recently joined AIVP. Can you explain to the other members of our international network how your business was created, and what solutions you provide? Dr. Bach Kim Nguyen & Michael van Cutsem, BeeOdiversity - BeeOdiversity came about as a result of Dr. Bach Kim Nguyen and Michael van Cutsem's commitment to taking action to protect biodiversity, especially bees and their ecosystem. Bach Kim is a world-renowned authority on the issue of bee decline and the loss of biodiversity, and sits on a number of international panels of experts. After completing his PhD on this topic and working as a research and teaching assistant at the University of Liège (Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech), he wanted to translate his findings on paper into reality. After initially working as a lawyer, Michael turned entrepreneur, helping a host of SMEs to expand their business. He decided to devote his skills to a project that would provide a positive impact for future generations. In 2012, they founded BeeOdiversity in a concrete demonstration of their belief in the cause of social entrepreneurship - making business work for nature and humanity. Since its inception, many who share and are committed to these same values have joined their team. Dr. Bach Kim Nguyen & Michael van Cutsem, founders de BeeOdiversity ©BeeOdiversity BeeOdiversity is a consultancy and environmental design agency. We create value by regenerating biodiversity and reducing pollution (industrial and agricultural). We offer invaluable support to our public and private-sector clients, in the form of innovative tools that combine nature-based solutions and technology, to build sustainable strategies that can be deployed in the field. We work in ten EU countries and in the United States. Our solutions have earned several awards - in 2020: the Solar Impulse foundation and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Institute. We work for clients in various sectors: Public authorities (from municipal to regional level), Committed brands, Water, Food and Agriculture, Real Estate, Industry, Energy, Healthcare… Focus on BeeOmonitoring: referred to as ‘biomonitoring’ or ‘biosurveillance’, this is a tool for measuring biodiversity and pollution using the pollen collected by bees, which act like natural drones and bio-indicators. It is the only tool that lets us collect qualitative and quantitative date, continuously and over large areas:⦁ biodiversity: the number and type of plant species present, whether their numbers are declining, and the impact on the wider ecosystem​.⦁ pollution: the type, concentration, and impact of industrial and agricultural pollution (pesticides, heavy metals, PAH, benzene, dioxins, furans, PCBs, PFAs, nitrates, etc.).The measurements taken by this biomonitoring are then used to take targeted action, where appropriate…