ISSUE NO 104, SEPTEMBER 2012
ZANZIBAR PAPIER MÂCHÉ HIVE GM and EU HONEY BECIUM GRANDIFLORUM WWW.BEESFORDEVELOPMENT.ORG
COVER PHOTO © OLE HERTZ
Bees for Development Journal 104
Our cover shows a trainee beekeeper from Unguja, Zanzibar. Read more about this Project on pages 8 and 9
Dear friends “Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not’’. British beekeepers were surprised and happy to see an apiary of bee hives being looked after by moustachioed apiarists, featured within the rural scene that opened the London Olympic Games. Around the Olympic Stadium, wildflower meadows of bee-friendly cornflowers, marigolds and prairie blossoms were mown especially early in the season so as to bloom gold during the Games. Ten football fields’ worth of nectar-rich wildflower meadows, 4,000 trees, 300,000 wetland plants, and more than 150,000 perennial plants and bushes are planted around the Olympic Park and Village, planned to provide a park for people and wildlife for generations to come. And July 2012 has been a very good month for openings! Earlier in the month, in our genuinely rural and green hill-surrounded world of Monmouth, we celebrated the opening of Bees for Development’s new premises. BBC Broadcaster Bill Turnbull - who has steadfastly been supporting us as a Patron of BfD Trust for ten years now, cut the red ribbon. To add to the celebration, Monmouth organised a one-day Bee Festival with street theatre, live bees plus human ones in bee costumes, competitions for children, and displays of plants and all things bee-related: a smaller scale event than that in London, yet enjoyed by participants and spectators - and commonly agreed to be a great success!
In this issue
PHOTO © BfD
ISSUE No 104 September 2012 page
Waterproof papier mâché hive ......... 3 Forest Hero ..................................... 4 EU GM policy and honey trade......... 5 Calling African beekeepers .............. 6 Update on fungicide residues .......... 6 Trees Bees Use ............................... 7 Zanzibar beekeeping project ............ 8 News around the World ................. 10 Letter ............................................ 11 Look and Learn Ahead .................. 12 Notice Board ................................. 12 Bookshelf...................................... 14 Erratum: BfD Journal 103 Extensive beekeeping Page 4, column 2, paragraph 1 should read: By contrast intensive beekeepers work to prevent swarming... BfD Journal Produced quarterly and sent to readers in over 130 countries Editor Nicola Bradbear PhD Co-ordinator Helen Jackson BSc
Bees for Development Post
1 Agincourt Street Monmouth NP25 3DZ, UK Phone +44 (0)1600 714848 info@beesfordevelopment.org www.beesfordevelopment.org
Bill Turnbull cuts the ribbon and declares Bees for Development’s premises open Subscriptions to BfDJ cost £26 per year - see page 15 for ways to pay Readers in developing countries may be eligible for a sponsored subscription. Apply online or use the form on page 16 BfD Trust UK Registered Charity (1078803) works to assist beekeepers in developing countries. Copyright You are welcome to translate and/or reproduce items appearing in BfDJ as part of our Information Service. Permission is given on the understanding that BfDJ and author(s) are acknowledged, BfD contact details are provided in full, and you send us a copy of the item or the website address where it is used. SUPPORT: Bees for Development Trust acknowledge Panta Rhea Foundation, E H Thorne (Beehives) Ltd, Trade Advance Ltd, The Waterloo Foundation and the many beekeeping groups and individuals who support our work. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to help. See our website for how to become a Supporter.
2
Bees for Development Journal 104
PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING
WATERPROOF PAPIER MÂCHÉ BEE HIVE Seungjae Oh, Managing Director, Yasaeng Beekeeping Supplies, 482-7, Hasandong, Gwangsangu, Gwangju, South Korea PHOTOS © SEUNGJAE OH
Keywords: beekeeping in Asia beeswax paper pulp South Korea symbiotic relationship Industrial development and other human activities have destroyed nature’s balance to the detriment of natural habitats. This serious phenomenon has affected the honey bees’ ecology and I fear that the full effect has not yet been felt. I am a designer in the field of beekeeping and recognise that sustainable designs are needed for bees’ habitat. This bee hive is made with recycled newspapers and beeswax. The beeswax acts as a bee-friendly hardening agent, is waterproof and a substitute for (possibly toxic) glue. Honey bees enjoy peace and they do not sting when left alone (see overleaf). Nowadays commercial hives are designed to be placed on the ground where we walk around them. As a result interference occurs frequently. If bees’ living places are raised off the ground, the likelihood of people being stung is reduced, and the bees have their own territory. For that reason, I adopted a hanging system and the hives can be hung for safety in high tree branches - away from the reach of children or pets, yet still enabling adequate pollination in gardens. Symbiotic relationships between bees and plants in gardens will generate a significant synergy effect. I hope that more people will start beekeeping to help maintain and protect bees. I will continue to develop my hive and I hope that beekeepers are inspired when they see it.
Beeswax is used to make the hive waterproof
Inside the papier mâché hive 3
Bees for Development Journal 104
Bees build their own comb in the papier mâché hive
The hive is hung high in trees to ensure that the bees have peace
The bees’ entrance – these are Apis mellifera honey bees of European origin in South Korea
FOREST HERO
my contribution to bee farming, but rather for the biodiversity conservation work which ANCO took up seriously in 2002. We teamed up with NGOs to integrate conservation with sustainable land management and rural poverty reduction. We have helped 30 communities to protect watersheds and to conserve four community forests by planting a total of 685,000 trees. In February, along with four other persons from Asia, Europe, North America and South America, UNFF presented us with Forest Heroes Medals.
Bees for Development congratulates Paul Mzeka and the organisation he founded in Cameroon, Apiculture and Nature Conservation (ANCO), for winning the International Forest Heroes Award. The Award was recently launched by the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) to recognise people all over the world who are working in quiet and heroic ways to sustain, protect and manage forests. Paul writes: A lot has changed since I last met with Bees for Development at the Apimondia Congress in Switzerland, 1995. At that time the name of my organisation was the North West Beefarmers’ Association. In 2002 our name changed to ANCO. By then we had trained over 7,000 bee farmers in Cameroon. However, my recognition is not for
What do you think about lobbying APIMONDIA to institute awards for outstanding contributions to bee farming over the five continents? Paul Mzeka, ANCO Coordinator, Bamenda, Cameroon For more information on UNFF see www.un.org/esa/forests 4
Bees for Development Journal 104
EU GM POLICY MAY DAMAGE HONEY TRADE FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Elizabeth McLeod, Bees for Development, 1 Agincourt Street, Monmouth, NP25 3DZ, UK
apiaries and GM cultivation will satisfy EU food safety requirements10 and approaches to enforcement across the EU are different11 – this is creating great uncertainty in honey markets. The risk of having consignments rejected is too high for some Argentinian beekeepers who are now choosing to sell to the USA where they receive lower prices for their honey. This trend is likely to continue, and to affect other honey exporters to the EU who have extensive GM cultivation, such as China and Mexico. EU producers are affected in the same way. Ultimately the use of honey in EU food products will decline and its price to consumers will rise.
Keywords: Africa APIMONDIA Argentina genetic modification honey legislation pollen The export price of Argentina’s honey has fallen by 9% over the last year1. Many factors play a role but APIMONDIA suspects that a September 2011 ruling2 from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has reduced the value of Argentinian beekeepers’ produce. Top legislation from the European Council (the EU government, made up of the Ministers elected in each Member State) considered pollen a normal constituent of honey, defining honey as sugars and other substances forming honey. However, when asked to interpret European law in a politically charged dispute between an organic honey producer and a local government trialling genetically modified (GM) crops in Germany, the ECJ changed European policy. Reclassifying pollen as an ingredient in, rather than a normal constituent of honey, it brought pollen into the coverage of the GM regulations on food and feed. The ruling cannot be appealed because the ECJ is the highest court for questions of European law. It did not decide on the facts in the case from Germany, but its decision on the correct legal interpretation now applies across the whole European Union.
While over 85% of honey imported to the EU comes from countries with GM cultivation12 the ruling does create huge opportunities for producers of the remaining 15% (and for countries which do not currently export to the EU) to scale up production and benefit from this vacuum. If costly testing of samples was not required for such countries, this would greatly improve the incentives for them to enter the EU market and satisfy the demands of the powerful segment of EU consumers who reject GM foods.
The judgment means that honey is now rejected by the EU market if it contains any trace of pollen from GM crops that are not already authorised for human consumption. Canadian honey has been removed from supermarket shelves because it is known to contain GM canola pollen, honey imports and packers’ honey stores are being tested, and contracts are being cancelled.3 The flow chart (right) shows how GM food and feed regulations apply to honey. It is not enough for beekeepers to ensure that their bees have no unauthorised GM forage sources. Pollen is also carried on the wind. In fact many GM crops are wind pollinated – for example maize, potato and sugar beet. If one grain of pollen from an unauthorised GM plant gets into their honey, the beekeeper cannot sell in the EU.
References 1. NESTOR RODRIGUEZ,R. (2012) Argentina Honey Exports – June 2012. ApiNews. http://www.apinews.com/en/news/item/19214-argentina-honey-exports-june-2012 2. ECJ JUDGMENT (2011) http://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste. jsf?language=en&num=C-442/09 ECJ press release on the judgment http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/ application/pdf/2011-09/cp110079en.pdf 3. DURKACZ J. (2012) Markets Convener for the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association, Report from the International Workshop on the ECJ Ruling on GM Pollen in Honey.
Authorisation of a GM crop as fit for human consumption is outside the capacity of a beekeeper who is affected by its production – it requires experimental data and an extensive risk assessment to demonstrate that the crop is as safe and healthy as a conventional product.4 Large biotechnology firms are most successful in obtaining authorisation.5
4. http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/gmo/authorisation/cultivation_commercialisation_ en.htm 5. http://ec.europa.eu/food/dyna/gm_register/index_en.cfm 6. BECK,S. GEPA, Consequences of the ECJ judgement on the fair trade honey import to Germany (slide 20). http://ocs.jki.bund.de/index.php/GMOhoney/ GMOhoney/paper/viewFile/70/36
In any case, authorisation may apply only to use in certain food products and no authorisation of GM has been made for use in honey. For example, following the ECJ ruling, food authorities in Germany detected pollen from GM GT73 oil seed rape in South American fair trade honey. Because GT73 was authorised only for use in refined oils and food additives, they ordered the destruction of the honey and any marketing of it illegal.6
7. WESSELER,J. Economic consequences for the worldwide trade. International Workshop on the consequences of the ECJ judgement on GM pollen in honey. 8. PHIPPS,J. (ed.) (2011) The Beekeepers Quarterly 106: 7. 9. DURKACZ J. (2012) Markets Convener for the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association. Report from the International Workshop on the ECJ Ruling on GM Pollen in Honey: page 4. 10. HOFMANN,F., Working group report on Practical measures (i) for coexistence of beekeeping with commercial cultivation of GM plants and (ii) for experimental field releases, JKI Open Conference System. International Workshop on the consequences of the ECJ judgement on GM pollen in honey.
Since over 48% of GM production was in developing countries by 2010, this ruling creates a massive barrier to their honey trade. In 2010 there were over 22 million hectares of GM crops in Argentina which is the biggest exporter of honey to the EU7, and over nine million in India.8 Increasingly GM is being used for pharmaceuticals and these producers have no incentive to attempt authorisation as a foodstuff.9
11. DURKACZ,J. (2012) Markets Convener for the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association. Report from the International Workshop on the ECJ Ruling on GM Pollen in Honey: page 3. 12. Wesseler, ibid reference 10.
Experts do not agree on whether a 10 km safety margin between 5
ECJ
European Court of Justice
GM
Genetically Modified
Bees for Development Journal 104
CALLING AFRICAN BEEKEEPERS
malaria is present contains anti-malarial agents. This research opens up some incredible possibilities, particularly for Africa, concerning locally available medicine for local diseases. We need to do more work: the team of researchers at the University of Strathclyde has recently been awarded research funds to look specifically at the medicinal properties of propolis in Africa.
Propolis is turning out to be an amazing substance. For the last 20 years, we have been researching its chemical and biological properties and have analysed 400+ samples from all over the world, working with the UK Universities of Bradford, Oxford and Strathclyde.
Therefore we are calling on all beekeepers in Africa to send us samples of propolis from their area along with information about the climate, plants and trees in the locality, and the diseases that affect the local human population. We need samples of about 50 g. The information we are asking for is as important as the propolis itself. Samples should be placed in a plastic bag and sealed. This should be mailed in a protective, if possible padded, envelope to the Apiceutical Research Centre (ARC). For each propolis sample we receive, ARC will sponsor the sender to receive BfD Journal for one year. We will let you have the analysis of the samples as soon as we get them and keep you informed about the course of the research.
We have discovered, for example, that where bees collect propolis in very hot and humid climates, the antibacterial properties of the propolis are greater than where the bees collect it in warm, dry climates. Why? Is it because bacteria thrive and are therefore more of a threat in hot, warm climates? Even more interesting is that we have discovered that where bees collect propolis in savannah areas where the human population suffers from sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis), then the propolis from those areas contains chemicals - antitrypanosomes - which appear to be active against sleeping sickness. However, if you look outside the area where sleeping sickness is prevalent, these chemicals are not present.
Please send your samples to: Apiceutical Research Centre, 6 Hunter Street, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO21 3DA, UK, and send an email to info@beesfordevelopment.org to let us know the package is on its way.
It seems that the bee is somehow picking up the plant’s response to the protozoa which cause sleeping sickness and incorporating this into its own defence mechanism. If this turns out to be true, then we could be looking at an easily accessible medicine for sleeping sickness in the very areas where the illness is present. Malaria is also carried by a protozoon, so we are interested to know whether propolis collected in areas where
Find out all about ARC at www.beearc.com where you can also find reminders about where to send your samples and what information we need: register on the site and ask us to send you the forms. James Fearnley, Director, ARC
UPDATE ON BfDJ 103 Fungicide residues bankrupt beekeepers in Vietnam Beekeepers in the Central Highlands and Southwest region of Vietnam have been ‘evacuating’ their bees to northern or western localities to ensure their honey does not contain fungicide residues as reported in BfDJ 103. Export to the USA accounts for up to 85% of the country’s total honey export, and honey must meet US import requirements.
Although beekeepers said the new barrier has hindered their exports, Mr Nguyen Xuan Binh, Director of the Animal Health Centre Region Six, said honey exports to the USA are at a normal level, and not banned as earlier reported. Mr Le Tan Luc, Deputy Director of Dak Lak Honeybee, said that the company normally exports 4,000 tonnes of honey to the USA by May each year, but so far in 2012 the figure is only 1,000 tonnes. While waiting for guidance from authorities, the company has instructed its farmers to bring their bees northwards, and have expanded also into other Asian countries to diversify their export market.
Figures from the Department of Agriculture of the Central Highlands Province of Dak Lak show that there are over 200,000 colonies of bees in the area, most belonging to the joint-stock company Dak Lak Honeybee. Annual honey production produced from cashew and rubber flowers is 5,000–7,000 tonnes.
Mr Phan Dinh Trong, Director of Dong Nai Honey, said the company had already exported 1,500 tonnes of honey in the year. He said that it is only beekeepers in the areas where rubber and cashew trees are treated with carbendazim that face difficulties to export: in other localities beekeepers are unaffected by the barrier. Mr Trong added that Vietnam’s beekeeping sector should ensure good hygiene and food safety standards for its products and source other potential markets, rather than focusing solely on the USA.
“Last year I harvested nearly 20 tonnes of honey worth VND600 million (US$28,800 €23,300)”, said Ta Minh Phung, a beekeeper in Dak Lak. “But this is now held at Dak Lak Honeybee since it has been rejected from being shipped due to its cashew and rubber origins. The company suggested that we brought our bees to the Northern provinces to make honey from litchi flowers. I had to borrow VND40 million (US$19,203; €15,540) from the company to cover expenses for the trip, while I still have an unsettled bank loan of VND200 million (US$ 9,600; €7,750),” he said.
EU legislation
Meanwhile Nguyen Chi Toan, who runs a honey farm in Buon Ma Thuot City, said he had transported 300 colonies of bees to the Northern Bac Giang and Phu Tho Provinces to make honey from litchi blooms. Mr Toan explained that he used to harvest many tonnes of honey from rubber trees, but this honey is now unmarketable so he had to raise VND100 million (US$ 4,860; €3,875) to transport the bees.
An EU delegation will visit Vietnam in September 2012 to check procedures for measuring chemical residues in Vietnamese honey. If it passes all the inspections, Vietnamese honey can return to the EU market since being banned in 2007. Source: Tuoi Tre News, 17 May 2012 6
Bees for Development Journal 104
TREES BEES USE Becium grandiflorum Haftom Gebremedhn, Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, PO Box 492, Tigray, Ethiopia
Flowering frequency and flowering period
Keywords: Africa bee forage Ethiopia honey production
These times depend on the availability of water. During the rainy season the plant has been recorded flowering for 76 days, with an average of 68 days. Becium grandiflorum can flower four times a year if water is supplied weekly.
Apicultural value
Becium grandiflorum is recommended for honey production
Honey bees collect nectar and pollen from the flowers of Becium grandiflorum in the morning, noon and evening. Farmers, beekeepers, NGOs, and extension workers rank Becium grandiflorum first for bee forage compared to other plants in the region. The honey produced is white and farmers sell this honey at a good price as demand from customers is high.
Number of flowers On average 267 flower heads, each head has an average of 35 flowers.
Flowering pattern
The plant has an indeterminate flowering pattern which means honey bees can collect pollen and nectar for a long period.
Family Tebub (Amargna)
Seed potential Can be 3,419 seeds per flowering season, with 1-4 seeds in each pod.
Distribution
Becium grandiflorum is endemic to Ethiopia and widespread in northern parts of the country where it is particularly important as a honey source.
Other uses
Farmers use the leaves or branches of the plant to clean threshing areas and to collect manure; the branches are also used for eating traditional food ‘Thlo’. Becium grandiflorum is used also as a roofing material, for fuel and animal feed, and in soil and water conservation.
Agro ecology Found growing in the highlands and mid highlands of the country. Soil type Tolerates a wide variety of soils: clay, silt, sand and loam. Becium grandiflorum grows on eroded soils, particularly rocky slopes, forest land, bare land, mountains and pastures.
Propagation methods
Becium grandiflorum can be propagated by air layering, ground layering, sowing, cutting, seedlings and splitting. This gives an opportunity to select the technique most suitable for the environment, and skill and management levels.
Plant type Perennial small aromatic shrub or sub shrub. Height Up to 1.53 m Canopy cover Up to 2.7 m2 (or 1.8 m diameter) Leaves are light green with a slightly sharp edge 4.7 cm long and 1.8 cm wide. The leaves are sticky and have a good aroma that attracts bees: farmers use the leaves as an attractant for bees and brush them inside new hives.
WHICH TREES DO YOUR BEES USE? Send information to the address on page 2 (main image) Becium grandiflorum (inset) Propogating Becium grandiflorum by air layering
PHOTOS © HAFTOM GEBREMEDHN
Flowers are edible. The whole flower is plucked from a branch and eaten fresh. The flower has a pleasant, sweet taste rather like honey, hence many small ants are found on the leaves during flowering. The flowers are large, pale pink with violet veins. The pollen is pink-red in colour.
7
Bees for Development Journal 104
ZANZIBAR BEEKEEPING PROJECT Ole Hertz, Skovshøj, Gudhjemvej 50, 3760 Gudhjem, Denmark
PHOTOS © OLE HERTZ
Keywords: Africa beeswax frame hive NGO research top-bar hive In 2011 a small beekeeping project began in Zanzibar planned to run for three years, and funded by the Danish Foreign Ministry. The NGOs involved are ZALWEDA (Zanzibar), Bees for Development (UK) and DANTAN (Denmark). Four local beekeeping experts are responsible for the training part of the Project. They are: Mr Assaa Sharif Ngwali and Mr Mussa Said Bakari (trainers in Pemba); and Mrs Mwajuma Haji Ussi and Mr Mgeni Rajab Mgeni (trainers in Unguja).
Zanzibar
Zanzibar comprises the main island of Unguja in the south (1,651 km2) and Pemba in the north (980 km2). In Pemba a significant amount of original forest remains, while on Unguja there is less forest and only the western part of the island has fertile soils. The population of Zanzibar in 1998 was about 800,000. By 2007 this had risen to more than a million. The growth rate is now about 3.1% per annum and the population is approximately 1.5 million.
Need for a better income
Beekeeping with open bark hives in the mangrove forest: probably the most sustainable way of beekeeping as long as honeycombs are harvested without killing bees
Most of the inhabitants are living on less than US$1 a day, making Zanzibar one of Tanzania’s poorest regions. However some people on the islands are extremely wealthy and there has been considerable building of hotels. Incomes come mainly from agriculture (especially for clove and copra export), fisheries, seaweed production and the tourist industry, while foodstuffs and fuel are imported.
The growing population and the expanding tourist industry threaten the natural areas. Most forest on the islands has been cleared for farming, buildings and roads. Prices are rising fast and there is a need for improved income for a great part of the population.
Project goals
The main goal of the Zanzibar Beekeeping Project is to improve livelihoods for poor families by raising their income by 25% from beekeeping activities. In addition, it is important to raise awareness of the economic importance of honey bee pollination to prevent the killing of wild honey bee colonies (see www.superbee.dk).
Sustainable equipment
Ten beekeeping groups have been selected on each island, each group with 20 members. During the Project period they are being trained in sustainable beekeeping methods with top-bar hives made from different materials. Tool boxes, training books, materials for protective clothing and some demonstration hives are given to each group, but it is an important part of the training to demonstrate that many types of hives can be used, especially hives that are made locally. The BfD Research Project at Njiro Wildlife Research Centre, in Arusha (Tanzania) showed that the comparison between honey harvested from frame hives and top-bar hives is small. More than two litres of honey can be sometimes harvested from frame hives, but more beeswax can be harvested from top-bar-hives: the income generated when beeswax is used to make skin ointments and other value added products can be higher than the income from honey. This suggests that the potential income from top-bar hive beekeeping in the tropics can be double that of frame hive beekeeping. Top-bar hives can be made from locally available materials such as straw and bark or clay. Also they do not need an expensive extractor for honey harvest. (left) Most stingless bees are peaceful when handled, but not when attacked by other bees 8
Bees for Development Journal 104
After honey extraction with frame hives it is necessary to return empty frames to the hives which may create robbing between colonies, and there is great potential to spread honey bee diseases. Because the frame hive system produces so little beeswax, the Zanzibar frame hive beekeepers often have to buy wax from top-bar hive beekeepers. In spite of all these facts there is still widespread confusion about what makes beekeeping sustainable and a strong belief that frame hive beekeeping should lead to much more honey. Over the years several beekeeping groups in Zanzibar have been supported by a number of foreign NGOs. Some groups have received equipment without any instructions, while others received the minimum of instruction. Other groups have been persuaded to buy expensive European equipment. During our last session of field work, we encountered groups with hives full of honey, but with no knowledge of how to harvest it: our trainers are now helping these groups. Some of the beekeepers’ groups who are participating in the Project are already doing well, while others need more support.
Trade and marketing
Honey trade and marketing are important aspects of the Project. Trade in honey is complicated in Zanzibar and probably most honey is sold locally. A proportion of honey is exported to Oman and other Middle Eastern countries, while some is transported from Pemba to Unguja. A lot of honey is imported from mainland Tanzania to Zanzibar and sells at relatively low prices. It is necessary to find a model to ensure that the local beekeepers sell their honey at a good and fair price. There is potential for the sale of ‘special Zanzibar honey’ to hotels and tourists, but this requires small jars, special labels and information about the importance of the bees and the local beekeepers’ groups. It is possible for the honey to be marketed in small baskets together with other bee products. In addition, a network between the producers and buyers has to be established. A Workshop on this plan and how to make the best beekeeping products will form part of the Project’s future work.
Beekeeping in the mangrove forest. Hives are placed here to deter ants and (hopefully) frighten away timber thieves
Beekeeping with stingless bees
Some beekeepers in Zanzibar look after stingless bees. The advantage of working with them, in addition to their lack of sting,
Mrs Mwajuma Haji Ussi providing training in Unguja is that they do not need much attention and the price for stingless bee honey is more than double that of honey bee honey, even in villages. A disadvantage is that stingless bees produce less honey. There is also no knowledge about how to divide colonies and how to make the best equipment. However, during the Project we will work on this - a great deal of useful information on stingless beekeeping has been produced already in Ghana and other countries.
Bees against thieves
Zanzibar has 20,000 ha of mangrove forest. It is probably the most important nectar producing vegetation, but is threatened from legal and illegal harvesting for charcoal, firewood and timber. Some NGOs have been encouraged by the Forestry Department to establish bee colonies in the mangrove to frighten thieves from stealing mangrove timber. In some places this works, but in other places both the timber and the honey are stolen!
This Pemba beekeeper has succeeded in earning so much from beekeeping that he has been able to buy materials to build a new house
NGO 9
Non-Government Organisation
Bees for Development Journal 104
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD GHANA
FLOWERS FOR THE BEES
I presented this poster Reduction of human/elephant conflict through beekeeping at Kakum National Park in Ghana, while on a course at Ghent University earlier this year. I wish to thank you for renewing my sponsored subscription to BfD Journal. PHOTO © RICHARD K KARIKARI
The Bees love Organic campaign, launched in April by Netherlands-based Nature & More, has been concluded successfully. Organisations and consumers distributed and sowed 400,000 bags of bee-friendly flower seeds this summer. Thanks to all these helping hands, 120 million flower seeds were sown throughout Europe. Let us help the bees, by sowing flower seeds and eating organic food was the campaign’s invitation to the public. Thousands responded. More than half of the seeds were distributed with Nature & More organic fruit & vegetables through box schemes in Austria and Germany. Many French beekeepers requested seeds to share at public events, while in Sweden students sowed a massive field of flowers and made films to support the campaign. Individual consumer requests came in from a wide range of countries including Czech Republic, Norway and UK. In the Netherlands, one of the main events was the Bee Cycle Path. Hundreds of people cycled part of a 1,000 km bicycle trail to sow seeds along the way and transform the path into a flowering bee paradise. Children were also highly involved in the Netherlands and many schools took part. All participants were invited to send in photographs and Nature & More used these images to create a film (www.youtu.be/kUPootoM5Jk) and thank everyone involved. Press Release 24 August 2012, Michael Wilde, Nature & More powered by Eosta www.natureandmore.nl
Richard K Karikari, Director, Beekeeping Learning and Honey Centre, Dansoman Estates, Ghana
Planting seeds along the Bee Cycle Path PHOTO © NRISHIMA KUMAR KHATRI
The Beekeepers Association of South Lebanon recently reported that 55-75% of the bee populations of Arqoub and Hasbaya have died due to severe weather and disease. Sheikh Tarek Abu Faour, Association Spokesperson, said that the owners of the 6,000 honey bee colonies in Hasbaya have received assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture to help fight the diseases affecting their bees.
PHOTO © NATURE & MORE
LIBYA
Source: The Daily Star
NEPAL Thanks for the sponsored subscription to BfDJ. This is most informative for the students of Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus where this year we started a Flori-Horticulture Management degree course. Beekeeping and floriculture are inter-related on the course. Dr Nrishima Kumar Khatri, Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus, Ilam
Log hives on the wall of Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus
If you are on Facebook remember to ‘like’ BfD! Tell us Your Story at www.beesfordevelopment.org/what-we-do/beekeeper-stories 10
NIGERIA In our unswerving efforts to promote sustainable development through beekeeping, Bees Extension Education Services collaborated with New Life for All Nations Church to organise a two-day training workshop in January 2012 with resource materials provided by BfD Trust. As a result there are 15 new beekeepers at the demonstration bee farm in Ibeku which has 30 top-bar hives: 19 of the hives were colonised by the end of March 2012. Such positive reports are leading more people to venture into beekeeping. Further training was delivered in May so that novice beekeepers can have their hives colonised before the next nectar flow, to enjoy their first honey harvest! Many thanks to BfD for your continuous support.
PHOTO © ASADE ELIJAH
Bees for Development Journal 104
Asade Elijah, BEES, Bees Extension Education Services, Ilaro, Ogun State
Participants of the Bees Extension Education Services workshop
ASIAN APICULTURAL ASSOCIATION NEWS
BfDJ is proud to be the official Newsletter of AAA
Beekeeping manual released by Honeybee Council
were interested in mastering techniques for queen rearing. Several pathogens were found from the honey samples though disease symptoms were not yet obvious or prevalent. The Manual provides information that has not until now been easily available. In Japan, beekeeping guide books and training opportunities for the public are quite limited: maybe the shortage of ‘foraging resources’ of this highly populated country is one reason. However this new Manual is now freely available to everyone and will be a benefit for many bee-loving Japanese people.
In 2010, with support from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan’s Honeybee Council began a new project to improve honey bee management and supply of honey bees. One outcome of the project, the Advanced Manual for Beekeepers has now been published by the Council, and can be downloaded from the Japan Beekeepers Association web page www.bee.lin.gr.jp/new/PDF/youhouka.pdf Published in Japanese, the book describes queen rearing technology and strategies to control bee diseases and pests, and is intended for experienced beekeepers. Dr Kiyoshi Kimura of the NARO Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science writes in the forward that the shortage of honey bee colonies for pollination witnessed in spring 2008 clarified Japan’s beekeeping problems that had been increasing over a number of years. These included a poor system for supplying queens and concerns about honey bee health. The Honeybee Council addressed these problems, carried out intensive interviews with beekeepers, and investigated honey bee samples from all over Japan. To meet the growing demand for colonies for pollination, beekeepers
Hitomi Enomoto, AAA Co-ordinator, ApiScience Information Services, Tokyo, Japan
LETTER
We read that nicotine is present in all plants of the family Solanaceae including egg plants and tomatoes, and that a certain amount of nicotine is good for stimulating the body. We look forward to your reply. Steven Liseki, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Arusha, Tanzania.
Nicotine in honey In 2011 it was claimed that honey exported to Germany from Tabora in Tanzania showed traces of nicotine. As a result, fear arose with many consumers, including here in Tanzania, and they are afraid to buy Tabora honey. We as research scientists decided to tackle this matter by first proving whether or not honey from Tabora contains nicotine, and if so, if that amount is dangerous to humans. We collected 13 samples from Sikonge and Urambo Districts in Tabora and carried out laboratory analysis at Sokoine University. Small traces of nicotine were found in all 13 samples averaging 0.0036%. Our question therefore is to know what are the allowable standards for nicotine in honey.
Dr Gudrun Beckh from Quality Services International GmbH in Bremen, Germany explains: Nicotine falls under Pesticide Regulation 396/2005 + amendments. For honey there is no specific Maximum Residue Level (MRL) and therefore the general MRL of 0.01 mg/kg can be applied. 11
Bees for Development Journal 104
LOOK AHEAD ALGERIA
6 Forum Méditerranéen d’Apiculture 26-30 November 2012, Ghardaia Further details federationapiculteurs@hotmail.fr
CANADA
APIMONDIA Symposium Queen Breeding, Selection & Honey Bee Health 15-18 November 2012, Quebec City Further details Pierre.Giovenazzo@bio.ulaval.ca
CHINA APIMONDIA Symposium 4th Apimedica & 3rd Apiquality 15-18 October 2012, Zhenjiang Further details clhb@hotmail.com
COSTA RICA
Latin American Biodynamic Encounter 23 September - 3 October 2012 Further details www.biodinamicacostarica.blogspot.com
ETHIOPIA
3rd ApiExpo Africa 26-29 September 2012, Addis Ababa Further details page 16
FRANCE
1er Congrès Européen de l’Apiculture 11-14 October 2012, Agen Further details www.euroapicongres.org
GERMANY
EurBee 5th European Conference of Apidology 4-6 September 2012, Halle an der Saale Further details www.eurbee2012.uni-halle.de
MALAYSIA
11th Asian Apicultural Association Conference 28 September - 2 October 2012, Kuala Terengganu Further details page 16
SAN MARINO
APIMONDIA Symposium ApiEcoFlora 4-6 October 2012 Further details apimondia@ sanmarinoconvention.sm
SOUTH KOREA
APIMONDIA 44th International Apicultural Congress 2015 Further details will appear here
UK
Conwy Honey Fair 13 September 2012, Conwy Further details www.conwybeekeepers.org.uk Scottish Beekeepers’ Centenary Celebration 15-16 September 2012, University of Stirling Further details www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk
81st National Honey Show 25-27 October 2012, Weybridge Further details wwwhoneyshow.org.uk
UKRAINE
APIMONDIA 43rd International Apicultural Congress 29 September - 4 October 2013, Kiev Further details www.apimondia2013.org.ua
USA
North American Biodynamic Conference 15-18 November 2012, Madison, Wisconsin Further details info@biodynamics.com
LEARN AHEAD
BfD UK Courses
Strengthening livelihoods by means of beekeeping 12 October 2012, Monmouth Sustainable beekeeping 13-14 October 2012 Ragman’s Lane Permaculture Farm, Gloucestershire Mead Making 12 October 2012
BfD Beekeepers’ Safaris Trinidad & Tobago 14-21 January 2013 Turkey 2014 (dates to be confirmed) For more details of courses and safaris see www.beesfordevelopment.org
If you want notice of your conference, workshop or meeting to be included here and on our website send details to Bees for Development, address on page 16
NOTICE BOARD
FUNDING FROM FAO TeleFood Special Fund Beekeepers’ groups and associations may apply for project funding of up to US$10,000. Request documents should include a brief description of project objectives, proposed food production or income-generating activities, work plan, number of participants, detailed list of inputs with cost estimates and reporting arrangements. See www.fao.org 1% for Development Fund Small grants enable community based beekeeping projects in developing countries to get off the ground. Applicants must define clear objectives and describe how they are to be attained. Email One-Per-Cent-Fund@FAO.org AWARD A professional development programme that strengthens the research and leadership skills of African women in agricultural science, empowering them to contribute more effectively to poverty alleviation and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. See www.awardfellowships.org YOUNG SCIENTISTS International Union of Biological Sciences offers grants to scientists under 35 years old. See how to apply for support to attend the next International Symposium on Pollination organised by the International Commission on Plant Bee Relations and part of the IUBS at www.iubs.org CIVIL SOCIETY RESPONSIVE GRANT Non-profit or cultural organisations can apply for funding from the Commonwealth Foundation to support activities including training courses, workshops, conferences, exchanges and study visits to promote international or intercultural exchange, co-operation and sharing of skills, knowledge and ideas between people from developing Commonwealth countries. Conditions apply. See www.commonwealthfoundation.com 12
Bees for Development Journal 104
13
Bees for Development Journal 104
BOOK SHELF
Buy these titles at www.beesfordevelopment.org/catalog or at our shop in Monmouth, UK
The beekeeper’s handbook Diana Sammataro and Alphonso Avitabile forward by Dewey Caron 2011 (4th edition) 308 pages £25 (€40) S125 An excellent new edition of this comprehensive guide - packed full of useful facts and information. Written primarily for beekeepers in North America, some of the practical descriptions inevitably relate only to frame hive beekeeping with European races of honey bees as practised there, but the clearly described descriptions of many apicultural skills are widely applicable. A special feature of this text is the amount of factual information it contains and the clarity with which these facts are presented – accompanied when necessary by clear, helpful diagrams. Finally an up to date bibliography and resource list, complete this extremely useful text.
Beekeeping - a beginner’s guide David Cramp 2012 180 pages £13.99 (€21) C755 A text for would-be beekeepers thinking of taking up the craft as a hobby, written in a chatty, question and answer style. It covers all the questions that people ask before they embark on beekeeping, its style making it highly readable, and then continues accompanying them season by season through their first year of beekeeping and into their second. Intended primarily for people in UK.
Beauty and the bees Sara Robb 2012 120 pages £11.99(€18) R455 The author’s first book, Dr Sara’s Honey Potions has proved to be one of the most popular books currently available providing recipes for making toiletries containing honey and beeswax. Sara’s second book provides a scientific approach to using bee products in foods and cosmetics. Many of the recipes have been researched by Sara from a family archive extending over four generations. Hearty, home recipes including sweet and savoury honey products, beeswax and honey beauty recipes, and Aunty Bea’s recipes. Using her scientific background, the author explains the anti-oxidative properties of the ingredients, quoting scientific research to validate the efficacy of these tried and tested traditional products. This new work contains original recipes and guidance that are not published elsewhere, a useful bibliography listing the research that has been cited, and an Appendix giving conversion tables making the text useful world-wide.
The price of gold - poems about the honey bee Edited by Joy Howard 2012 72 pages £9 (€14) H105 A golden covered book containing a collection of sixty poems that celebrate honey bees. Interestingly every one of them is written by a woman, and the book tells us a little about each poet. A sweet gift of a book.
From A to Bee James Dearsley 2012 224 pages £9.99 (€15) D940 James Dearsley represents the younger demographic now becoming avid beekeepers. An excellent communicator and internet savvy, From A to Bee follows the year of his metamorphosis from theoretical to practical beekeeper. Highly readable and encouraging for others thinking of taking up the craft.
Honey - a beekeeper’s guide (DVD) Great Takes Television Ltd narrated by Susan Rae 2011 Running time 120 minutes £20.95 (€31) VID49 A useful film explaining honey production for beekeepers in the UK and featuring many well known experts from British beekeeping. There are seven sections starting with Honey and the law, in which the legal definition of honey is explained and its practical consequences for beekeepers. Honey harvesting shows ways of harvesting honey from frame hives with minimal disturbance to the bees. Honey extraction emphasises the need to meet the high standards necessary for food handling. Honey varieties shows footage of judges at the UK National Honey Show (see Look Ahead, page 12) explaining differences in colour and appearance of honey. Honey for sale describes the requirements for bottling and labelling honey, whilst Honey for show outlines the numerous classes of honey and the high standards demanded for entries at shows. The final section describes the long but fascinating journey of Honey for mead. Useful and interesting for schools and beekeeping groups, and an excellent way to learn more facts about honey. 14
Bees for Development Journal 104
Buying from Bf D Order through our web store Secure Payment System Or send us an e-mail, or post us a note of what you want, or we can send you an order form Payment is required with order Delivery UK addresses: FREE delivery on publication orders up to 1 kg Outside UK: Orders dispatched by airmail post. Add 15% for delivery to Europe; 30% for outside Europe (Orders over £500 please request our quote) Ways to pay Secure order and payment at www.beesfordevelopment. org/catalog to store@ beesfordevelopment.org Credit/Debit card Maestro/ MasterCard/Visa. We need card number, name on card, valid from and expiry dates, card issue number (if given), security number on back of card. Cheque/bank draft in GBP or Euros payable to Bees for Development
Support Bees for Development Trust fD Journal nsor a Resource Box Visit
www.beesfordevelopment.org and see How to help 15
Bees for Development Journal 104
11th Asian Apicultural Association Conference 28 September - 2 October 2012 Primula Hotel, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
With patronage from: The Sultan Mizan Foundation, the Malaysian Bee Research and Network Team and Terengganu State Government The Local Organising Committee invite you to participate ALSO Pre-Conference workshops commence 25 September
4th Propolis Science Forum 30 September Organic Honey Forum 2 October
during honey hunting
www.asianbeeconference.org/11thaaaconference
SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE Sponsored subscriptions to Bees for Development Journal are available for resource-poor beekeepers, projects, schools and groups in developing countries. Supported with funds raised by Bees for Development Trust Name ................................................................................................ What is your involvement with bees and beekeeping? .........................................................................................................
APIEXPO AFRICA 2012
......................................................................................................... Organisation .....................................................................................
3rd All-Africa Honey Exposition, 26-30 September 2012 Millennium Hall, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Postal address ..................................................................................
The organisers invite individuals and organisations to present papers pertinent to the apiculture industry and to the theme
.........................................................................................................
Beekeeping for food security & combating climate change Deadline for submission 31 July Presenters selected will be informed by 25 August
www.apitradeafrica.org/apiexpo-africa-2012.html
......................................................................................................... Country............................................................................................. E-mail address .................................................................................. Date of application ............................................................................ Additional copies of this form are available from our website Email journalrequest@beesfordevelopment.org Post to BfD Trust at the address below
ISSN 1477-6588
Telephone +44 (0)1600 714848
Bees for Development
Printed on environmentally friendly paper
info@beesfordevelopment.org
1 Agincourt Street, Monmouth
© Bees for Development 2012
www.beesfordevelopment.org
NP25 3DZ, UK
