Building Capacity for Nature-based Beekeeping: A Conversation with Isaac, Bees for Development, Ghana

Meet Isaac

Q. Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role and your role with Bees for Development, Ghana?

A. My name is Mbroh Isaac, and I work as Programmes Director at Bees for Development Ghana. I lead the design, implementation and learning of our programmes, working closely with communities, government agencies, researchers and development partners. My role is to ensure that our projects strengthen livelihoods while conserving biodiversity. Much of my work focuses on promoting Nature-based Beekeeping as a practical approach that enables rural communities to benefit from healthy ecosystems while becoming active stewards of their natural environment.

Image above: Isaac Mbroh conducting a field inspection of beekeeper’s apiary

Q. What does Nature-based Beekeeping mean to you?

A. To me, Nature-based Beekeeping is about working with nature rather than trying to control it. It respects the natural behaviour of honey bees, uses locally appropriate and affordable technologies, and encourages beekeeping that depends on healthy forests, and diverse agricultural landscapes. It is an approach that is accessible to women, young people and people with disabilities because it requires relatively low investment while creating strong incentives to protect trees, reduce wildfires and conserve biodiversity. From experience over the years, NBB acknowledges that thriving bees, healthy ecosystems and resilient communities are interconnected.

Q. Why is Nature-based Beekeeping relevant in Ghana today?

A. Ghana faces increasing pressure from deforestation, unsustainable agriculture, mining and climate change. These challenges threaten biodiversity and the livelihoods of rural communities. Nature-based Beekeeping offers a practical response because it creates economic value from standing forests rather than cleared land. When communities earn income from honey and other hive products, they have greater motivation to protect bee forage, prevent bushfires and restore degraded landscapes. As Ghana works towards climate resilience and sustainable development, I see Nature-based Beekeeping as an approach that will deliver environmental, social and economic benefits simultaneously.

Image above: Hands on learning, Isaac demonstrates top-bar hive operation, correct hive set up and best practices.

Image above: Practical apiary beekeeping session

Q. What lessons has BfD Ghana learned from supporting beekeepers across Ghana?

A. One of our biggest lessons is that success depends far more on knowledge and ongoing support than on equipment alone. Communities that receive practical training, mentoring and opportunities to learn from one another consistently achieve better results than those who simply receive hives and other equipment. We have also learned that local solutions matter. Beekeeping practices should build on local knowledge, available materials and the surrounding environment rather than relying on expensive imported technologies. Also, women do extremely better [than even men] when they are provided with all the necessary equipment, knowledge and support. Finally, we have seen that when communities experience the benefits of beekeeping, they often become champions for forest conservation and environmental stewardship and even disengage from charcoal making.

Q. Why are training videos such an important part of this project?

A. High-quality training is not always accessible, particularly for people living in remote communities or organisations such as ours with limited resources. Training videos provide an opportunity to share practical, evidence-based knowledge with a much wider audience. They allow learners to revisit topics at their own pace and help ensure that consistent, accurate information is available across different regions and countries. We also hope these resources will support other trainers and extension workers by complementing face-to-face learning rather than replacing it.

Q. What topics are you planning to cover in your videos?

A. The series will introduce the principles of Nature-based Beekeeping before exploring practical topics such as Understanding honey bees in nature, Choosing and Making a Beehive; How to Attract a Swarm; Honey Harvesting from Fixed Comb Hives; Honey Supply Chain Logistics and Traceability; Protecting Your Bees; understanding the beekeeping calendar, Common Mistakes in Beekeeping Project Design; recognising when honey is ready for harvesting; and understanding markets and value chains. We also plan to include topics on biodiversity conservation, how organisations can design effective beekeeping programmes that create lasting impact as well as project monitoring, evaluation and learning, among other interesting topics.

Q. How could these resources help conservation and development organisations?

A. Many organisations are interested in beekeeping but are unsure how to design programmes that deliver both livelihood and conservation outcomes. These video resources will provide practical guidance based on our years of field experience in Ghana. They can help organisations train staff and project beneficiaries, improve programme quality, avoid common mistakes and integrate beekeeping into broader initiatives on forest restoration, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and community development.

Q. What would success look like five years from now?

A. Success would mean seeing Nature-based Beekeeping recognised as a proven approach for both conservation and rural development across Africa. I would like these training resources to be widely used by communities, NGOs, governments and educational institutions. Most importantly, I hope they contribute to stronger rural livelihoods, healthier bee populations, better protected forests and a growing network of practitioners who continue to learn from and support one another. If more communities see forests as valuable because they sustain bees and livelihoods, then we will have achieved something truly meaningful.

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Images above: Filming training videos