Bees for Development
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The value of bees in development

 

Ten good reasons why bees are valuable in development.

  1. Pollination
    Bees pollinate flowering plants - this activity is vital for life on earth. Adequate pollination leads to good quality seeds and fruits and is essential for maintaining biodiversity. 
  2. Useful products
    Honey is valued by all societies as a healthy food or medicine.
    Beeswax is used in candles and cosmetics and has many other uses.
    Pollen and propolis may also be harvested from bees.
  3. Land use 
    Bees visit flowers anywhere so wild, cultivated and protected areas all have value for beekeeping. Beekeeping does not use up land that could be used for crops.
  4. Low cost 
    Beekeeping can be very low cost. Hives and other equipment can be made locally and bees are freely available. Bees do not depend on the beekeeper for food. Hive numbers can increase slowly as skills and resources allow. 
  5. Income creation
    Where beekeepers have good market access, beekeeping easily generates a profit.
  6. Sustainable 
    Beekeeping is non extractive and sustainable. Beekeepers are friends of the natural environment, willing to collaborate to conserve forests and vegetation where bees live and forage 
  7. Benefits for several sectors
    Where there are beekeeping activities, other people in the community generate income by making equipment, selling bee products and making secondary products.
  8. Comparative advantage 
    In areas of developing countries where there are abundant natural resources and healthy bee populations, there are good opportunities to market organic-certified honey.
  9. Resilient income 
    Beekeeping is resilient when disasters happen. Displaced communities can make hives and gain benefit in a relatively short time. It is not necessary for beekeepers to own land or be permanently settled.
  10. Gender and age inclusive 
    Bees can be kept by women and men of all ages. Bees do not need daily care and can be attended to as other work allows.

 

List of Articles available on this topic (40):


Title

Author

A cross sectoral approach to beekeeping support

Hausser, Y. & Savary, J.

A plain language guide to the National Beekeeping Programme of Tanzania

Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism

African honey trade workshop (no.81)

Bees for Development

Apiculture and poverty alleviation in Cameroon

Fombad, E. E. & Nuesiri, E.O.

Appropriate extension messages - DFID working in Kenya

Bees for Development

Beekeeping and sustainable livelihoods (in Strengthening livelihoods)

Bradbear, N

Beekeeping development using value chain approach in Fogera district

Gebey, T.; Berhe, K.; Hoekstra D.

Beekeeping in Greenland

Hertz, O.

Beekeeping in Rural Development

Njiro Wildlife Research Centre

Beekeeping in the Amhara Region

Kebede, A., Ejigu, K., Aynalem, T., Jenberie, A

Beekeeping in Trindad and Tobago 1901-2010

Gladstone Solomon

Beekeeping, poverty alleviation and forestry conservation in Imadiala, Madagascar

Russell, R.Y.

Bees and rural livelihoods

Bradbear, N.

Bees and their role in forest livelihoods: a guide to the services provided by bees and the sustainable harvesting, processing and marketing of their products

Bradbear, N.

Bees in the miombo

Madeleen Husselman, Moira Moeliono and Fiona Paumgarten

Bees, Biodiversity & Forest livelihoods in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

Bees for Development

Development of beekeeping in Laos - various strategic choices

Sengngam, B. & Vandame, J.

Economic returns from beekeeping

Bees for Development

Eighteenth Annual Report 2011 - 2012

Keystone

Governing Forest Commons in the Congo Basin: Non-Timber Forest Product Value Chains

Ingram, V.

Guiding Hope Business Award Press Release

Guiding Hope

Haiti Beekeeping Project

Sterk, B.

Home and Away: Adventures in Beekeeping in the UK and Africa

Home, John

Honey Hunters and Beekeepers: A Study of Traditional Beekeeping in Babati District, Tanzania

Ntenga, G.M. & Mugongo, B.T.

Honeybees in Mountain Agriculture

Partap, U.

Impressions of a beekeeping project in Ethiopia

Fichtl, R

Moroccan Beekeeping Project

Dr Paul Schweitzer and others

National Beekeeping Policy of Tanzania

Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism

One hectare of land gives 1,000,000 Indian Rupees per annum

Jamwal, N.

Overseas Aid: Afghanistan

Project News - A cross-sectoral approach to beekeeping support

Hausser, Y. & Savary, J.

Quality Assurance for the Honey Trade in the Hindu Kush Hiamalayan Region

Partap, U., Gurung, M. & Joshi, S.

Science for Self Reliance

Society for Technology & Development

Small-scale woodland-based enterprises with outstanding economic potential: the case of honey in Zambia

Mickels-Kokwe, G.

Southern Sudan: Beekeepers survey report

Mogga, J

Starting with Bees: An Introduction to African Beekeeping

Nazzi, F., Annoscia, D., Del Fabbro, S., Del Piccolo, F.

Sweetening Livlihoods

Underdown, D.

Taking stock & projecting apiculture value chains into the future in West and Central Africa: Win wins for livelihoods & conservation?

Verina Ingram

The potential of the beekeeping industry in enhancing rural household incomes in Botswana

Lepetu, J.P. Thelo, O. and Sebina, N.V.

Valuing insect pollination services with cost of replacement

Allsop, M.H. de Lange, W.J. and Veldtman, R.