Equitable access to pasture use for beekeepers in Kyrgyz Republic

In Kyrgyzstan Bees for Development worked with local partner RDF to

• promote public understanding of the value of honey bees in the region
• promote beekeeping as a sustainable and environmentally beneficial livelihood for young herders in the northern Kyrgyzstan pastures of Chon-Kemin
• ensure that beekeepers’ rights to use pastures are recognised in law and practice.

Extract from External evaluation, LTS, 2015
In terms of biodiversity outcomes, project beneficiaries in the Chon-Kemin valley reported positive impacts, resulting from increased numbers of beekeepers and improved pollination. Changes in national level legislation, in part a result of project activities, are likely to further benefit the country’s degraded pasturelands. This project also contributed to poverty reduction. Wider well-being benefits identified by these beneficiaries include improved nutrition, recreation, and improved health. Families in Chon-Kemin received training in beekeeping, building their capacity and expanding their livelihoods options.

This project was funded by the UK Darwin Initiative and was completed in 2014.