1979
What did nine young people find so interesting in the Apennine hills above Bologna?
The “dolce vita”, of course: the fascinating, sweet world of bees and the idea of working together, with shared dreams and goals. Through their efforts, the Cooperativa Apistica Valle dell’Idice (Idice Valley Beekeeping Cooperative) was founded at Monterenzio. In 1985 it came together with six other cooperatives to establish CONAPI, the first National Consortium of Beekeepers, into which it was absorbed ten years later.
1986
The Mielizia brand was created to represent CONAPI beekeepers the length and breadth of Italy. It embraced the bee products of all the founder members and reflected their passionate commitment to the welfare of their bees and the high quality of their products. It guaranteed compliance with their values: a fair economic return, protection of bees and the environment, stewardship of biodiversity and a focus on authentic goodness.
2003
Honey, in all its natural simplicity, was the founding principle of the Mielizia assortment. But the brand aimed to offer much, much more: a honey that met consumers’ needs and the market’s demands. So it began to produce honey in single-serving sachets of 5 and 6 grams. Ideal as a natural sweetener for hot and cold drinks, teas, coffees and herbal infusions and to make the right dose of energy and sweetness available in portable form.
2005
Mielizia reaches out to Europe. The brand was registered at EU level and then, in 2012, internationally.
2010
Mielizia came up with an easier way of serving honey: the squeezer, a very handy soft bottle with a dispenser valve for spreading just the quantity required. It was especially ideal for liquid honeys such as acacia, forest and chestnut.
Another innovation appeared on all Mielizia packaging: QR codes, allowing products to be traced by typing a batch number into a page provided on the website.
2013
Mielizia creates new spaces for nature. The Bee and Honey Park was opened at the rear of the Monterenzio production facility. A special place where visitors could unearth interesting facts, find information and immerse themselves in a world that fascinates visitors of all ages.
2015
Innovation was now part of Mielizia’s lifeblood, and there was no end to the surprises. For its honey, it launched the ground-breaking 100% biodegradable, compostable pot, made from paper bonded with PLA (polylactic acid) in the small 100 gram size. Stores were delighted to be able to add three monofloral honeys – acacia, eucalyptus and sulla – with even greater environmental sustainability.
2016
Mielizia retained its ability to embrace new ideas and never miss an opportunity. Adopting an innovative packaging technique, it began to process organic fresh pollen at the CONAPI facility. Fresh pollen was offered in convenient 120 g trays that maintained all its flavour, fragrance and freshness intact.
2017
“Piacere, Mielizia” was the brand’s first advertising campaign. At the same time, it launched its range of 100% natural, organic nutritional supplements, made with bee products from the CONAPI members’ Italian hives. The product formats? Single-serving sachets, sprays, syrups, sweets and vials.
2018
People could now buy Mielizia products in just a moment, wherever they were: while waiting for a taxi, in a bar, or sitting at their desk or on their sofa. And even more conveniently, products were delivered straight to their homes.
Mielizia e-commerce had arrived!
2019
Having grown to more than 5 billion bees and 100 thousand conventional and organically managed hives, CONAPI celebrated its 40th birthday: it represented more than 600 beekeepers and had 259 members, 6 of them in Spain and 1 in Hungary.
What better opportunity for launching the new Mielizia BIO range? Honeys, nutritional supplements and fruit compotes sweetened with our honey, all with organic certification.
2020
A new toothsome option for breakfast and snacks appeared: Mielizia shortbread biscuits, naturally sweetened with honey. The most delicious, light, natural start to the day.
2021
For Mielizia, “Together for biodiversity” isn’t just a slogan: it was a real manifesto. Bees have always acted as sentinels for the health of the ecosystem, and nowadays even the smallest children know they have to be protected to conserve our planet’s invaluable biodiversity. Children, like bees, are our future. This was the thinking behind Mielizia’s first TV commercial, “La Protesta dei Bambini” (Children’s Protest), aired by all main Italian broadcasters and selected for multiple awards by critics and the public.
2023
Ready, get set, go! Mielizia launched the new “SportPocket” honey line. In the doypack pocket size, it was tailored for the needs of sportsmen and women and consumers on the go.
Beekeepers
We work alongside and care for our bees, creating the best conditions for their welfare. We were among the first in Italy to adopt organic production techniques, and are currently the leading European producers of organic honey. Our organisation now comprises more than 600 beekeepers, united by our passion for bees and Italian honey. We protect the wellbeing of more than 5 billion bees and provide pollination for a vast area of Italy.
