Fakhimzadeh and his assistant have just returned from checking a customer’s beehive. His company, Suomen Lähi Luomu, works to spread word about how useful bees are by renting beehives to farms, the yards of companies and private homes and even the rooftops of apartment buildings. The company’s beehives can be found in Lahti and its surroundings. When the summer is over, the bees of one hive have produced at least 20 kilogrammes of honey for their renter. They have an even greater impact on fields and gardens, whose crop quality and quantity are greatly improved, thanks to these pollinators.
“It’s my biggest dream to turn as many people as possible into beekeepers in their own garden. Now there are hives here and there but not enough for the bees to get around everywhere.”
Bees are very hard-working: for just a little jar of honey, they have to collect nectar from millions of flowers. Bees can fly as far as ten kilometres for nectar. Of course, if they do, they have to use some of the nectar they are carrying to feed themselves.
“Closer is always better. However, Finland is in a better situation honey-wise than anywhere in Southern Europe or the American continent. Here, we have crops that are up to three times larger. What’s more, beehives can be placed almost anywhere.”
The reason for the great honey crops lies in Finland’s wildflowers: dandelions, bilberries, wild raspberries, willowherbs and many others. When one type of flower is done blooming, there are others to take its place all through the growing season, even in the north of the country. In many other countries, large areas have been set up for cultivated land with flowers that all bloom at the same time. If there are no new flowering plants nearby, the bees die.
"In the United States, for example, beekeepers transport hives by truck from one farm to another. Fruit and berry growers there are willing to pay for the pollinators.”
Research data from various countries
Fakhimzadeh is familiar with the differences between countries, because he has worked as a researcher not only in Finland, but also in the USA, and has visited many European and Asian countries to offer his expertise. He was the first researchers to find an Acarapis woodi mite on a Finnish bee. He also developed a natural way to combat Varroa destructor: icing sugar, which prevents the parasite from latching on to a bee. Fakhimzadeh has also studied environmental science and heavy metals. Bee deaths across the world worry him, but he cannot point at just a single reason why they are happening.
“Scientists are trying to figure out why they are dying, but evidently it’s a combination of many factors, not just one. The situation is very bad, as around 40% of the bees in the United States die every year. In China, farmers are forced to pollinate plants themselves, because there just aren’t enough insects.”
Honey is clean
Sometimes people worry about environmental toxins when they see beehives on the road side, in industrial areas or on the roofs of downtown apartment buildings. As a researcher, Fakhimzadeh doesn’t hesitate to recommend beehives also in urban areas.
One of his research areas was the industrial environment of Harjavalta that, at the time of the study the area had 13 times the recommended heavy metal concentration in the soil. The bees flying in the area had the same heavy metal concentration, but the honey they produced was completely clean. The pollen collected by the bees was also cleaner than the environment, although it did contain some metal residues.
“Bees accumulate the toxins in themselves, but they want to provide their offspring with clean food. Studies along busy roads when petrol still contained lead showed the same result: the honey was always clean and therefore safe.”
Enlightened attitudes through education
When beehives from the edge of the forest and fields are brought to where people live, they also act as educators and enlighteners of attitude. A lot of people are afraid of bees for no good reason and confuse them with wasps, which are much more likely to sting you.
“A bee will only sting you in a genuine emergency, because when it does, its stinger comes loose and the bee dies. You are perfectly safe when you stay just three and a half meters away from the beehive”.
Fakhimzadeh is particularly happy about a hive located in the vicinity of the Steiner daycare centre in Lahti. The children have been able to watch how the hive is opened and observe the activities of the bees from a safe distance.
“These children will not confuse bee with wasps. They can tell adults too what useful animals bees are.”
Suomen Lähi Luomu offers training for other interested parties too. In addition to rental hives, lectures and visits, the company also offers thorough beekeeper training by an expert.
Healthy sweetness
Sweet honey contains not only different types of sugar, but also plenty of enzymes, which are considered healthy for people as well as bees. A beekeeper gets to enjoy other healthy and useful products too, such as propolis, pollen and beeswax. Naturally, Fakhimzadeh eats a lot of honey and even sweetens his coffee with it. He recommends honey also for baking.
“The enzymes die in the heat, but they will make your bread much softer. And if you want to retain the enzymes when drinking tea or coffee, I recommend you spoon some honey in your mouth first and then take a gulp of your hot beverage.”
Citizen Diaries - Lahti - EU Green Capital
Valtteri Bottas began his career when he was just six years old, racing karts in his hometown of Nastola in Finland.
In the winter of 2016, Eetu Floor was walking to a friend’s band practice in Lahti. On his way there, he chose a shortcut through the industrial area of Sopenkorpi where he found an overgrown industrial track and plot.
The Lahti Pelicans is a Finnish professional ice hockey team that plays for the City of Lahti, in the ‘Liiga’, Finland’s top professional ice hockey league.
Emmi Valli-Forsback from Lahti buys almost all of her family’s clothing and household goods second-hand; and rents a market stall to sell on what she no longer needs. She rarely considers buying something new if she can find it second-hand.
Bee doctor Kamran Fakhimzadeh knows what a miracle honey is: to produce a kilo of it, bees have to visit up to ten million flowers. At the same time, bees do us a huge favour by pollinating vegetables and fruit and berry plants.
Rikka-Liisa Aalto has always picked up litter in her local area. After becoming a mother, she started picking up litter almost every day. The Puhdas Päijät-Häme network was born out of a desire to make a connection with other people who care about the environment.
In 2015, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Sibelius Hall, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra initiated a project to help the City of Lahti reach its carbon emission reduction goals.
Fashion designer and entrepreneur Riikka Flink has been observing the clothing industry for over 30 years. She believes that ecology, sustainability, and responsibility are possible when production is closely monitored.
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In 2021, Lahti, Finland, stood at the forefront of sustainability as the European Green Capital. The city set new standards in clean energy, circular economy, and green urban living.