More Goals, More Bees: ASM launches ‘Red & White Hives’ Program

AS Monaco is launching ‘Les Ruches Rouges & Blanches’ (The Red & White Hives) program to help save the bees. After every 10 goals scored in Ligue 1, a beehive will be installed in the Principality. The project is part of the environment pillar of the ASM’s corporate social responsibility policy, with the aim of raising awareness and promoting biodiversity.

If goals are huge sources of joy for ASM fans, they will also be a source of joy for…bees! 10 goals in L1 = 1 fully funded hive. From this season, every time Wissam Ben Yedder and his teammates score 10 league goals, AS Monaco will finance the creation of a hive for 40,000 bees. The hives will be located in one of the Terrae urban farms in the Larvotto district, just a few hundred metres from Stade Louis-II. An urban environment, contrary to what one might think, is an ideal location for bees, with mortality rates for bees lower in the city than in the countryside.

‘Red & White Honey’ will be tasted throughout Europe

Last season, the team scored over 60 goals, which would have equated to 6 hives or around 200,000 bees and a lot more help in pollinating local vegetation. Part of the honey harvested (6 to 8 kilos produced per hive) will be exported throughout Europe as Red & White honey. Educational programs about beekeeping will also be organized with local youth.

According to the UN, 40% of what we eat and 80% of the plant species on Earth directly depend on pollination. Fewer bees means less food security and accelerated global warming. Global warming, pesticides and the spreading of invasive species have considerably increased the mortality rate of bees. With this program, AS Monaco is helping preserve bees, a threatened species which helps pollinate and preserve local biodiversity.