Editorial: Current status of honey bee genetic and breeding programs: progress and perspectives.

This document is an editorial published in the journal Frontiers in Insect Science. It discusses the current status of honey bee genetic and breeding programs, highlighting the progress made and future perspectives. The editorial emphasizes the importance of honey bees in food production and biodiversity, as well as the challenges they face due to agriculture intensification, climate change, and diseases. The article also mentions the value of honey bee products and the interest of geneticists and breeders in their genetic and behavioral attributes. The editorial concludes by highlighting the potential benefits of incorporating genetic knowledge into honey bee breeding programs, particularly in relation to Varroa resistance and the reduction of synthetic acaricides. However, it notes that these advancements are not yet widely applied in commercial breeding programs. [Extracted from the article]