Why support beekeeping?

In many developing countries beekeepers lack the assistance that they need. And yet by neglecting bees, we are risking the planet’s biodiversity.

It is essential that honey bees are managed sustainably - this can be achieved as part of a strategy to alleviate poverty.

Help us to provide the vital support that beekeepers need to escape poverty. Set up a monthly donation to Bees for Development Trust and start changing lives today!

Beekeeping can help the poorest, most isolated communities because:

• hives can be made from local materials - so cheap to get started for anyone
• not time-consuming and can fit around child-care or farming
• supports income generation and food security
• provides medicine:  honey and propolis are used in many societies
• ensures pollination, improving crop yields and profits for farmers
• maintains biodiversity - by taking care of bees, we take care of our environment.

Selling honey and beeswax can help beekeepers pay for children's schooling, or to cover hospital bills. With support, beekeeping can sustain whole communities.

Testimonial

"My name is Prosper Agbeti from Ghana. I was born to a low-income family. After completing junior high school, I was left to find some work on the street of Accra, the capital city of Ghana, selling ice cream and water to make a living and help my parents. One day, I met a man who told me to take up beekeeping, since it is a lucrative job. The next day, he taught me how to colonise bees, protect myself from bee stings, and harvest and process honey. Since then I have set up 20 sets of long stroth bee hives in the Volta region of Ghana. I am currently training people in the rural areas of Ghana. Through beekeeping I have completed my high school education without my parents assistance. I am also reading more information on bees and am the manager of Bees for Development, Ghana. I want to establish branches throughout Ghana" 
Prosper Agbeti, Ghana 2010