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Congratulations to Dr Chris Cannizzaro, Queensland horticulturist and macadamia producer, who earlier this year won the inaugural Bee Friendly Farming Sustainability Award for his outstanding contribution to pollinator-friendly farming.

Dr Cannizzaro is part of the team at Macadamia Farm Management, where he works across more than 5,500 hectares of orchards as a horticulturist, agricultural ecologist and entomologist. He was recognised for expanding Bee Friendly Farming certification, restoring native vegetation, and sharing practical insights to improve pollination in macadamias and other crops.

Having been involved since Macadamia Farm Management’s first certification in 2021, Dr Cannizzaro sees pollinator health as a business imperative.

“Macadamias are one of the few native Australian food crops grown commercially. Pollinator-dependent crops like ours need bees, and growers need to be thinking about the future,” he said.

“We’ve got a lot of young trees, and we’re going to need a lot of new bees.”

In 2024, his team planted over 5,500 trees across three Bundaberg orchards through a Bee Friendly Farming Tree Grant. He also speaks regularly at industry events such as AusMac, highlighting how diversifying pollination methods can improve productivity and crop quality.

“Over the next five years, demand for honey bee hives in our industry will increase by 60%, and double over the next 10,” he said.

“There aren’t enough beekeepers or native bee populations to meet that demand yet. Bee-friendly farming is essential for our industry’s future.”

About Bee Friendly Farming

Originally developed by Pollinator Partnerships in the US and introduced to Australia by the Wheen Bee Foundation in 2021, the program supports land managers to protect and promote pollinator health. It has now certified more than 43,400 hectares nationwide.

Wheen Bee Foundation CEO Fiona Chambers said the program continues to attract interest across agriculture, with growers from almonds, avocados, vineyards, vegetables and more joining the movement.

“We’ve been pleased to see so many farmers championing pollination outcomes,” she said.

The program is supported by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, Flow Hive, Australian Almonds, Equity Trustees and others.

👉 Watch Dr Cannizzaro’s case study here

👉 Learn more about Bee Friendly Farming here