After the Call for Joint Proposals, which aims to promote across-borders collaboration between territories, the UNESCO International Center for the Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves has awarded two projects with an amount of 10,000 € each. One of this two projects is the MEL Project.

This initiative seeks to enhance biological and cultural diversity derived from beekeeping, presenting and promoting Biosphere Reserves as "places of excellence for honey production". The project is lead by five Biosphere Reserves from various shores of the Mediterranean Sea: Appennino Tosco Emiliano (Italy), Terres de Ebre (Spain), Valleé du Fango (France), Jabal Moussa (Lebanon), Djebel Bou-hedma (Tunisia) Biosphere Reserves.

In order to achieve its objective, two main actions have been carried out among the Biosphere Reserves: local events where the Biosphere Reserves establish contact with beekeepers in the territory and an online survey to understand the state of the art on beekeeping in Biosphere Reserves of the Mediterranean.

Data gathered from the survey is currently being aggregated and its results will be presented at an International Workshop between the 26th – 30th May 2019 in Lunigiana (Tuscany, Italy) in the Biosphere Reserve Appennino Tosco Emiliano. The Workshop will gather representatives from all five partners. Participants will meet in this important occasion to present their beekeeping realities, experiences in specific issues on beekeeping and propose actions for the network of beekeepers in Mediterranean Biosphere Reserves.