Bookshelf

Beescape for Meliponines – conservation of Indo-Malayan stingless bees

Abu Hassan Jalil and Ibrahim Shuib

2014 212 pages £42 (US$65; €60) Published by PARTRIDGE – A Penguin Random House Company ISBN 97814828223615

Global interest in stingless bees is increasing because of their importance in the pollination of many tropical plants. The need to conserve stingless bees and other bees in general has become a matter of concern to many people. The authors of this book make a comprehensive compilation of stingless bee species and conservation practices in Indo-Malayan regions of Asia, and discuss the ecological requirements of stingless bees world-wide. Chapters describe pests and predators and the establishment of meliponaries in various landscapes, including home gardens, orchards and public parks. A good practical guide for stingless bee beekeepers.

Bees for development Guides 3 & 4

Edited by Rebecca Howard, Michael Tchana and Bees for development

2015 32 pages and 40 pages respectively

Honey and beeswax create good income to improve the livelihoods of beekeeping families. However, the benefits of beekeeping depend on many factors that interplay along the bee product value chain. These include product quality, production quantities, supply and demand volumes, and all affect the trade dynamics of products and ultimately the benefits that can be derived by players in the sector.

Guide 3: Establishing a supply chain for honey and beeswax from rural beekeepers This Guide details the procedures involved in establishing an economically viable supply chain in Cameroon for internal and external traders of honey and beeswax. It is a well written compilation of step-by-step procedures and experiences of the trading company, Guiding Hope, with management support from PAELLA-E. These two organisations successfully established trade links between remote beekeepers in Cameroon and importers in the EU. A good reference for people planning to engage in African honey and beeswax trade to Europe.

Guide 4: Exporting honey and beeswax from Africa to Europe This Guide continues the procedures that Guiding Hope developed to operate an exportorientated marketing system for honey and beeswax. The booklet documents all processes involved to meet stringent import requirements for EU markets. The success story of a first shipment of 20 tonnes of honey and 100 tonnes of beeswax to Germany and the UK is told. This case study provides a vivid picture of the shocks, challenges and experiences of Guiding Hope in organising successful export. The result is a doubling of farm gate prices for poor rural beekeepers. These experiences provide good lessons for other organisations aiming to export to the EU.

Each Guide costs £5 (US$8; €7) and is available to buy at www.beesfordevelopment.org/shop. Readers in developing countries are eligible for free copies: see page 20 for contact details.

Safe to chew – an anthology

Edited by Lawrence John Connor, Randy Kim and Robert Muir

2015 211 pages £13 (US$21; €19) Published by Wicwas Press ISBN 9781878075451

A collection of essays, poems and stories with beekeeping as their theme. A celebration of the culture and inspiration that has arisen from the ‘beloved, enigmatic and imperilled honey bee’. Congratulations to Dr Connor who, at the Heartland Apicultural Society meeting in USA in July was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Society and the Michigan Beekeepers Association. This recognised his work mentoring the next generation of queen breeders and as a lifelong advocate of sustainable, practical and informed beekeeping practices.