FROM a young age, it never sat well with Dr Cooper Schouten that so many people globally go to bed hungry every night and don't have access to basic things like fresh water, healthcare and education.
This inequality led him to pursue a career in international agricultural research and development and, ultimately, become a renowned honey bee scientist managing projects across the Pacific.
"My work allows me to try and help people generate income - both here in Australia and overseas - without exacerbating environmental degradation," Dr Cooper said.
"What could be better?"
Growing up with his mum and sister in Yamba, Dr Schouten always loved surfing, diving, camping, and being surrounded by nature, which prompted him to study environmental science at Southern Cross University in Lismore.
"I've always had a passion for being in and learning about the environment," he said.
However, an interest in honey bees and beekeeping developed when Dr Schouten took a job with a commercial beekeeping company managing 5000 organic certified hives.
"I fell in love with being in the forest and found bees incredibly fascinating," he said.
"I got a scholarship to work in Timor-Leste at this time with second-generation beekeeper Professor David Lloyd as my mentor.
"A swarm of giant Asian honey bees (Apis dorsata) landed on a tree outside the room where we were working - it was unbelievable."
Giant Asian honey bees create massive, single-comb structures high in trees, which are highly prized resources for locals.
Later, Dr Schouten learned that young children were risking their lives harvesting the honey from the tops of 50-metre-high trees at night with burning branches and no safety ropes.
"Prof Lloyd offered for me to assist with writing a proposal to the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) for a bee project in Indonesia and Timor Leste, which was successful, and I started my Honours with him as soon as I finished my degree," Dr Schouten said.
I get a lot of satisfaction from my work, particularly seeing farmers whose bees are dying, and you come back after a few years, and they've doubled the number of colonies they're managing, and they're making more honey and selling that to pay for their kids' school fees and to put a tin roof over their house.
- Dr Cooper Schouten
Dr Schouten's research, and in particular his PhD, has focused on the reasons why agricultural development programs work and why they don't work, using beekeeping as a case study to understand this process.
"My research helps to improve the effectiveness and impact of education, research and capacity-building within beekeeping industries in our neighbouring countries and Australia," Dr Schouten said.
As an example of this, one of Dr Schouten's recent projects has identified strategies for creating more inclusive honey value chains, developed nationally accredited mentorship programs, management methods to improve honey yields, number of hives owned and cash incomes from beekeeping, low-cost methods for controlling honey bee mites (Varroa and tropilaelaps mites) and strategies for improving the effectiveness of beekeeping training interventions.
In 2015, Dr Schouten and Professor Lloyd established Bees for Sustainable Livelihoods (B4SL) at Southern Cross University, which partners with government and non-government organisations and the private sector to collaborate on applied research, education, training, and extension "for productive and sustainable beekeeping industries in developing countries and Australia".
Dr Schouten is also the director of a new Bee Research and Extension Lab at SCU, which will play a pivotal role in growing local capacity to tackle Varroa mite and other issues that impact honey and pollination industries.
Concerningly, the majority of our bee labs in Australian Universities have been closing down, and their leaders, among many technical experts in the industry, have retired.
"We're a regional university with strong working relationships and connections with industry," Dr Schouten said.
"Because of the investments made by SCU and ACIAR, we are in a position to conduct applied and industry-driven research for the honey and pollination industry."
In the past 12 months alone, the team has also finalised a Papua New Guinea beekeeping industry snapshot, which includes developing methods for increasing the participation of women, conducting training and capacity building for more than 500 beekeepers to improve knowledge and skills for national honey bee biosecurity, queen bee breeding and stock evaluation and development of value-added bee products.
One ACIAR-funded project, based in Fiji, PNG and the Solomon Islands, led by Dr Schouten, aims to strengthen the beekeeping industries there and increase production.
The results so far have been impressive.
"We imported the first queen bees into Fiji and PNG in more than three decades," Dr Schouten said.
"More than 2500 queen bees have been produced, leading to significantly higher honey production, less swarming and more business and income for queen bee breeders.
"A dedicated stock improvement and biosecurity island, as well as a national honey bee pest surveillance program, has been funded by the government of Fiji, assisting genetic longevity and improved regional biosecurity.
"A bee breeding manual and value-added bee product manual have been developed, and more than 250 copies printed with people providing ongoing training in basic beekeeping, advanced beekeeping, queen bee breeding and value adding to bee products as part of their business."
While the workload Dr Schouten has taken on has been immense, it has been worth it, offering him a rewarding career he may not have otherwise had.
"I get a lot of satisfaction from my work, particularly seeing farmers whose bees are dying, and you come back after a few years, and they've doubled the number of colonies they're managing, and they're making more honey and selling that to pay for their kids' school fees and to put a tin roof over their house," Dr Schouten said.
"It feels good to know we can listen to and discuss Varroa plans with commercial beekeepers here in Australia and overseas and feel like we may have something useful to their situation or business decisions to save money and manage Varroa."
With such a plethora of positive outcomes to emerge from his team's work, Dr Schouten said it was difficult to pinpoint the most memorable moment in his career so far.
"The collective experiences and lessons I've had by listening to and living with people who own very little have really changed my outlook on life and what we value and strive for," he said.
Dr Schouten and his team organised and ran the inaugural Pacific Island Bee Congress in Nadi, Fiji, in 2023, which brought together 200 beekeepers from 15 Pacific Island countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, coming together to share knowledge and skills and, importantly, to meet each other and form relationships and ongoing partnerships and research for the Pacific beekeeping community.
"It was pretty special," Dr Schouten said.
"Gurus who have been beekeeping for longer than I am old say they just wish the event had happened 30 years ago.
"Pacific heads of apiculture were brought together to develop regional strategy and standards for beekeeping for development practice, regional honey bee biosecurity priorities and create five-year industry research, development and extension plans.
"We also convened over 20 practical hands-on workshops across eight applied technical topics.
"I feel honoured to be part of such an amazing team of beekeepers and bee researchers making this happen, and I hope to grow opportunities for enhancing relationships, trade and capacity building within the region."
Dr Schouten sees bee health and the impact of Varroa, which is now endemic and other honey bee threats, such as deformed wing virus, as the biggest threats to the Australian bee population, among other challenges.
"We have unique agriculture, environment and climate here in Australia, and we urgently need locally developed and applied varroa control options that are affordable for beekeepers," Dr Schouten said.
"High prices of diesel, low prices paid to beekeepers for honey, succession planning and capacity building for honey bee technical experts that can deliver applied outcomes for commercial beekeepers, and climate change are chronic and significant challenges that compound impacts of varroa."
- The Spotlight on Scientists series showcases our ag scientists' valuable work in Australia and overseas. Catch part four on Sunday, February 25.
