The date chosen is the birthday of Slovenian beekeeper Anton Janša (1734-1773), a pioneer of modern beekeeping and one of the biggest experts on bees.

A teacher at a beekeeping school founded by Empress Maria Theresa in Vienna, Janša authored two books on beekeeping and after his death the empress decreed that all beekeeping teachers follow his teachings.

The initiative for a world day dedicated to bees has already been backed by Slovenian President Borut Pahor and Agriculture Minister Dejan Židan.

The Slovenian Beekeepers Association also plans to seek support from akin associations across the world and their international federation Apimondia.

The association cited data showing that 84% of cultivated plants in Europe and 70% of plant species used for food worldwide depend on pollination by insects, foremost bees.

The same data show that one third of all food for people depends on pollination, with a group of French and German scientists estimating the global value of pollination at EUR 153bn in 2005.