Bees for Development Journal Edition 128 - September 2018

Bees for development

JOURNAL

No 128 September 2018

• Insectageddon • Realistic data needed • Beeswax • Burglar beekeepers • Collective beekeeping • Beekeeping in Guatemala

The Journal for sustainable beekeeping 1

Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

Dear friends Insectageddon – insect armageddon - is the term being used to describe the catastrophic loss of insect numbers. We have little data to enable us to compare current with past insect numbers because, in contrast to birds and mammals, insects are not well studied. Why not? Mainly because on the whole, humans do not like insects - with a few exceptions like bees and butterflies. For example The Times newspaper this week1 reported that tourists in the south of France are complaining about the noise made by cicadas, deemed especially strident this year after the exceptionally hot, dry summer, and asking to have them killed with insecticides - fortunately their requests are being refused.

Readers of this Journal know that bees are important, but maybe we need to do a better job at explaining the value of other insects too? They have existed here on earth 1,000 times longer than us, and create and maintain the world resources amongst which we live.

Harvard biologist Edward Wilson famously described insects as ‘the little things that run the world’.

If humans were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago,

but ‘If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos’2. This is because without insects and other arthropods like spiders and millipedes, the planet would quickly become covered in carcasses, with plants and animals unable to decompose.

Insects play multiple crucial roles within ecosystems - in addition to pollination they are an important part of the food chains providing food for birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibia.

In industrialised nations farmland birds are in sharp decline3 according to data from many nations, yet few studies have been made to similarly measure insect populations over the years. The few studies4,5,6 that do exist, show insects to be in severe decline.

For example the mass of insects collected by monitoring traps in a nature reserve in northwest Germany dropped by 76% between 1989 and 2016.

There is no single explanation, though the causes are familiar to everyone: climate change, loss of natural habitats, toxic chemicals, light pollution, though these factors do not apply directly to the German nature reserve study, where insect abundance has probably declined

Issue 128 September 2018 page

Readers in developing countries may apply for a sponsored subscription. Apply online or see page 19.

Collective beekeeping to combat pollinator decline......................... 3

Bees for Development Works to assist beekeepers in developing countries.

Facts about beeswax – quality of beeswax....................................... 4 Beekeepers, burglars and manuka honey.............................. 7 Notice Board................................. 9 Beekeeping in Ixcán, Quiché in northern Guatemala....................10 The beekeeping sector needs realistic data................................12 News............................................15 Book Shelf....................................17 Look Ahead..................................19 Bees for Development Journal Produced quarterly and sent to readers in over 130 countries Editor: Nicola Bradbear PhD Co-ordinator: Helen Jackson BSc Subscriptions cost £26 per year - see page 18 for ways to pay

Nicola Bradbear Director, Bees for Development 1. 2018 C. Bremner, It’s not cricket: tourist sick of cicadas. The Times. 22 August 2. 2007, E O Wilson, in interview 3. 2018 M. Greshko, Around the world farmland birds are in steep decline.

National Geographic. June 4. 2012 Collen et al., Spineless, Stautus and trends of the words’ invretebrates Zoological Society of London 5. 2014, G. Vogel, Where have all the insects gone? Science 6. 2017 C. A. Hallmann et. al., More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas https:// doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185809.

Bees for Development Trust gratefully acknowledge: gratefully acknowledge: Artemis Charitable Trust, Didymus Trust, E H Thorne (Beehives) Ltd, Ethiopiaid, Hub Cymru Africa, Millom Rotary Club, Neal’s Yard Remedies, Stroud Buzz Club, The Rotary Foundation, The Waterloo Foundation, Welsh Government, UK Aid Direct, Yasaeng Beekeeping Supplies and many other kind individuals and organisations.

Copyright You are welcome to translate and/or reproduce items appearing in Bees for Development Journal as part of our Information Service. Permission is given on the understanding that the Journal and author(s) are acknowledged, our contact details are provided in full, and you send us a copy of the item or the website address where it is used.

Bees for development

Cover photo © Narasimha Hegde/Parna

In this issue

because of changing farming practices in nearby farmland, where intensive wheat and cornfields support little or no insect life.

The way to recover insect numbers is to restore and maintain every scrap of natural habitat wherever possible, and to abandon or at least reduce use of herbicides and pesticides. As mentioned in these pages before, beekeepers are not only enabling crop pollination and harvesting precious bee produce, we have also a key role in raising awareness of the need to support wider insect diversity and abundance.

Cover picture A magnificent comb taken from an Apis dorsata honey bee colony nesting in the forests of the Western Ghats in India More on page 3.

1 Agincourt Street, Monmouth NP25 3DZ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1600 714848 info@beesfordevelopment.org www.beesfordevelopment.org

Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

Collective beekeeping to combat pollinator decline Narasimha Hegde, Sirsi, Karnataka, India “Together, let us start beekeeping”, participants decided at a meeting of ‘Parna’ the Western Ghats Farmer Producer Company, operating in the tropical forests of the Western Ghats in India. Parna was formed to promote sustainable production methods through collective marketing of crops, forest products and bringing in responsible collection practices for forest resources.

Ramakrishna Jummanakanu said: “It would not be so easy to manage the colonies if we do it individually.

Since we are engaged in other farming activities, regular monitoring was not possible. The same situation persists with most of the farmers in this part of the Western Ghats. Now the collective beekeeping has addressed many such challenges, we are happy to have such a programme”.

Beekeeping training • Improved harvesting: eco-friendly packaging, labelling and collective marketing • A portion of the profit will be used for forest conservation including species augmentation of bee flora • Training honey hunters on sustainable harvesting practices and hygiene during processing.

The meeting was organised to discuss the possibility of value addition to Non-Timber Forest Products, prioritising the species for value chains, sustainable harvesting and species augmentation. Participants decided to recruit local expert beekeepers to carry out the harvesting, processing and collective marketing.

Expected outcomes • Improved honey-based livelihood opportunities • Community led sustainable management of honey bees • Increased levels of understanding of different issues relating to honey bees from biological, economical, policy and social viewpoints.

Within 15 days of the decision, the total number of hives reached 100, 53 had been sited and the remainder would be placed after the monsoon. To date 38 kg of honey have been harvested and sold.

Collective beekeeping objectives

“The honey is truly most special. We gave honey as gifts on my birthday and everyone gave positive feedback, including doctors, the manager of a five-star hotel, friends and family. The honey is great – the right packaging helps the product to enter the market and claim its place as a premium honey”, says Chris Pohl, marketing specialist for an international company.

• To conserve the honey bees which are important pollinators across a wide area • Sustainable rural development • To empower women, forest dependent and indigenous communities through improved processing, value addition and marketing.

Global climate change, deforestation and forest degradation, extensive use of chemicals in agriculture and shortage of food are causing pollinator decline. This is a new initiative with a great hope.

Photo © Narasimha Hegde/Parna

Investing Partners are encouraged to pay Parna INR4,500 (US$66; €57) for a bee hive, honey bee colony and stand.

In turn, Parna will repay 1.5 kg of honey or the equivalent in money to the investor annually up to six years. Share members can keep their hives in a suitable place.

However, the Company decides on the place for the hives invested by people from other towns and villages.

Both are maintained and monitored by trained people.

Areas which are free from chemical pesticides, away from highways and in forest regions with flora for pollen and nectar have been selected. The Indian Foundation for Humanistic Development in Bangalore has provided technical and financial support for this venture.

Encouraging development “Initial trends and development are encouraging. There is a team spirit and enthusiasm in the bee collective.

There is regularity in monitoring the hives. We hope we could scale up to a profitable business, meet the demand and compete in the market”, says Manjunath, Director of Parna, and Partner in the collective beekeeping.

Training underway for members of Parna, the Western Ghats Farmer Producer Company 3

Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

FACTS ABOUT WAX Part 3: Quality of beeswax Dr Wolfgang Ritter Aromas Wax easily absorbs foreign odours. If wax is processed on an open fire it will smell of smoke. If it comes into contact with fermented honey its aroma also changes.

Stored wax cakes also absorb odours from the environment: for example residues such as biocides (used for warehouse decontamination) can penetrate into the wax.

The quality of beeswax has become of increasing concern within apiculture.

Residues of pesticides and varroacides affect the quality of wax and honey, and also bees‘ health. Recently, wax adulteration has been blamed for many problems in brood rearing.

Residues in wax Hydrophilic substances (water soluble) including some varroacides (formic, lactic and oxalic acid) and certain pesticides cannot accumulate in wax or only to a minor degree. Amitraz rapidly degrades into its metabolites.

They are detectable only in honey and not wax.

Changes in wax Colour changes Various metals including aluminium, copper, iron and zinc can turn wax brown. Therefore these metals should never be used in wax processing equipment or in water used during wax processing. If wax is heated for too long and at too high temperatures (over 85°C), its colour and aroma are changed.

Photo © Frank Neumann

Lipophilic substances (fat soluble) are readily asborbed by beeswax, such as the varroacide Coumaphos; and synthetic pyrethroids including Flumenthrin and Fluvalinate. Ethereal oils, for example thymol, produce a large amount of residues in wax immediately after application, but residue content will decrease with increased ventilation.

Examinations of residues in wax Since the first identification of Varroa in Europe, beeswax is regularly tested for residues. Based on the results, the country of origin of the wax can be determined from the Varroa treatments used there.

Pesticide residues in wax indicate whether the bees collected nectar from intensive agriculture.

This is a worldwide problem, although beeswax from Africa usually has no varroacide residues, only pesticides: this was determined and published from a study of wax from different regions in Uganda.

Residues in wax can be detected only in the laboratory using analytical methods.

Residues in Germany

Foundation made with adulterated or contaminated beeswax causes severe brood damage. On the left is a frame which contained contaminated foundation: many larvae have died, creating a scattered brood appearance. The frame on the right did not have contaminated foundation: here the brood is perfectly fine, showing some capped brood of the same age, and in the centre the brood has hatched completely 4

In 2014 the University of Hohenheim examined comb foundation.

Bromopropylate, a varroacide used over 20 years ago, was found and 76% of the samples contained Coumaphos. Both these substances often occur as residues in wax from Germany. The values found are so low that due to the “mobility” of the

Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

active ingredients no residues in the honey from these honey combs is expected. DEET (dimethyl-m-toluamod), an agent found in bee repellents was found in 13 wax batches.

by pesticides from the environment, especially after honey flow near or in intensive agriculture.

Adulteration of wax In the case of adulterants with synthetic waxes, mostly paraffin and stearin are found. However wax can be adulterated also with animal fat. Paraffin, a byproduct of petroleum production, is a composite of saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes). Stearin is a composite of palmitic and stearic acid obtained from animal and vegetable fats by saponification.

In 50 samples analysed by the Bavarian Animal Health Service in 2015, thymol was the most common residue (37%). These high residue levels should be reduced if honey combs are left longer in the hive after treatment, and if both honey combs and comb foundation made from them are well ventilated. In 2017, the Julius Kühn Institute examined 13 batches for residues and found the presence of 30 different substances. While the residues of the plant protection products were all below 0.1 mg/kg, high values of more than 8 mg/kg were found for the varroacides, thymol and the illegal use of tau-fluvalinate. Only rarely did high levels of the chemicals used to control wax moths (naphthalene, sulphur and the wood preservative parachlorophenol) appear.

Examination of wax adulteration Various publications show that adulteration of wax is a worldwide problem, even though analyses started only recently. Since 2017 adulteration of wax has been discussed at various levels within the European Union to find solutions in new regulations.

Sensory examination Freshly produced wax is colourless. Absorption of flavonoids from propolis and/or carotenoids in pollen lead to a bright to dark yellow colour. The typical scent of wax is enriched with aromatic substances from honey, pollen and propolis. It is almost impossible to identify adulteration from sensory examination alone.

Tolerance by bees Residues of pesticides and varroacides accrue in wax. These residues are especially concentrated in recycled wax, preventing the absorption of additional substances and possibly transferring into honey. Not only is the honey contaminated, but also the bees’ food. Sub-lethal doses in wax show an influence on reared brood and can cause insidious but also acute damage. Therefore, combs from the brood chamber should not be used for the production of foundation.

Combs in the honey chamber can be contaminated

Physico-chemical examinations General wax quality can be determined using simple, tests at 20°C. A chalk line is drawn on a wax bar.

Cutting along this line the wax should be fine to granular, but not crystalline. When chewing or cutting the wax, it must not be sticky. Cutting along the wax

Photo © Wolfgang Ritter

Adulteration lowers the melting point of the wax so that honey combs become unstable and collapse

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Photo © Wolfgang Ritter

sedimented on the wax. Paraffin is not soluble in water and therefore paraffin adulterated wax would show no reaction.

Laboratory examination An exact determination of wax components and adulteration can be made only in the laboratory.

Gas chromatography determines the total carbon coefficient and adulteration is immediately visible from the chromatogram. The fat acid spectrum can be determined also by this method, but it is complex and expensive. Wet chemical methods proving acid, ester and saponification value as well as paraffin and other wax additions are more favourable.

Current inspections of adulterations in Germany In 2016, the Government Veterinary Institute at Aulendorf examined different suspicious comb foundation samples. The results showed severe adulteration with stearin in wax from China. By July 2017 the Bavarian Animal Health Service had analysed 172 suspicious samples. Paraffin was identified in 32%, stearin in 10% and in 6% both additives were present.

Over 100 samples tested to July 2018 showed a similar result. The Ceralyse Institute in Celle examined 13 adulterated batches. In only two samples did added paraffin exceed 1%. However, four samples showed addition of stearin up to 21%.

The water bath test is one way to obtain evidence of stearin adulteration from the white precipitate (3 and 4). 1 and 2 do not appear to contain major amounts of stearin. The test will not indicate any adulteration with paraffin surface should produce spiral-shaped shavings. When kneading the wax it should be elastic but not shiny.

A clear indication of adulteration can be concluded from the melting range (dripping point) of the wax. Heat the wax to 75°C. As it cools measure the temperature every 30 seconds. The collected data can be entered on a datasheet (Excel spreadsheet) to determine the point at which the temperature-time curve deviates from a straight line (upper point) and switches again to a straight line (lower point). For pure beeswax these points are between 61–65°C. If the beeswax is adulterated with, for example 20% paraffin, these points are at a lower range of 58–61°C.

Tolerance by bees Foundation adulterated with paraffin displays a lower melting point than pure beeswax foundation. In summer heat, the foundation can begin to melt. Stearin can make the wax so hard that the brood cannot emerge.

On occasion bees will not adopt foundation made with adulterated wax. A Belgian research group investigated this with admixtures of 15%, 25% and 35% stearin to pure wax. The foundation was accepted by the bees and the queen laid eggs. However, significant numbers of young larvae died in the adulterated combs with survival rate decreasing from 51% to 29% compared with the control (100%). Not all brood damage can be blamed on wax adulteration.

Often this is caused by diseases – especially during the second half of the year when a spotty brood pattern or dead brood can be the result of a heavy Varroa-Virus-Infection.

Photo © Ute Schneider-Ritter

To test for large quantities of stearin adulteration wax plates are laid in a water bath at 37°C for 48 hours.

After drying in the open air for one hour, adulterated wax will show a whitish cover: presumably the water dissolves the stearic acid out of the wax, and because it is only slightly soluble in water the stearic acid has

Dr Wolfgang Ritter runs BEES for the World, which supports African beekeepers to produce top quality beeswax and sell it on the European market while promoting the African way of beekeeping, most favourable for bees, beekeepers and the environment.

The income from sales will be refunded to support African beekeeping communities via training provided

by Bees for Development. We asked Dr Ritter to prepare an article for Bees for Development Journal from an article previously published in a German magazine. Parts 1 and 2 are published in BfD Journal 126 and 127. Dr Ritter advises us there will be a bonus fourth part with practical information.

Wolfgang.Ritter@beesfortheworld.de www.beesfortheworld.de

Impressive blocks of beeswax. Any residues or adulteration cannot be seen externally 6

Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

Beekeepers, burglars and manuka honey Noel Sweeney The classic image of beekeepers as portrayed by painters is of a solitary folk engaged in quietly tending to their contented charges. Beekeepers are portrayed as people who are immersed in an activity that arouses their senses, so they can produce honey for the community. Beekeepers are seen to be caring, while willingly sharing their knowledge and passion with any curious neighbour and passing stranger.

Burglars

Some bees are robbers and steal the honey from under the wings of unsuspecting bees. Though they know it happens, that kind of behaviour is an anathema to an honest beekeeper. For above all the one thing a beekeeper is richer in than honey - is honesty.

On the tiny island of Anglesey, off the coast of North Wales (UK), Felin Honeybees, a farm and education centre, was burgled twice in 2015. For many beekeepers including the owner Katie Hayward, the truth cannot be denied: the burglars are experienced

While that may be one side of the common currency of the beekeeping fraternity, the other side of the coin is revealing and not quite so appealing. Some beekeepers now display that ugly grasping side of robber bees and practise avarice and indolence to steal honey from other industrious beekeepers.

A few examples will illustrate the burglars that now pose problems for the police and fellow beekeepers.

Thieves are hijacking hives, then renting the bees and queens out to farmers to pollinate their crops. With the global collapse of the bee population from disease and the prevalent use of mass pesticide, the crime is becoming lucrative.

Photo © Franc Sivic

One million honey bees were stolen from Beekeeper Honey, a family-run UK business. This is thought to be the largest theft of its kind

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and knowledgeable in the craft of beekeeping, so the risk to them of being stung is non-existent.

Rustlers try to disguise their illicit goods. Andres Solis, a Fresno County Sheriff’s Detective, was alerted by a tip-off about the state of the hives. He said that most beekeepers make their hives distinctive, yet Tveretinov’s were not. They were scattered and different types were mixed together.

Hayward explained that the bee burglars used a small nucleus box, held the frames over the box and shook the bees in. Nucleus boxes can be stored easily in a car boot. The burglars stole her prize bees that had been selectively bred by the Felin Centre for calmness, intended to be used for teaching and in therapy to help stop children from self-harming. Hayward said: “They knew exactly what they were taking. There’s been a huge surge in beekeeping as a hobby, and the demand for new nucleuses has risen by 75% in the last five years”.

The police gained inside information from a fellow beekeeper who recognised Lloyd Cunniff’s hives at Tveretinov’s apiary. Cunniff, the owner of Beeline Honey, brought his hives to California to help pay back for the losses from colony collapse disorder that he suffered in 2016. Cunniff said that the thieves with flatbed trucks moved the hives from a site in northern California on 122 pallets. He estimated the loss of his bees to be over $400,000. Cunniff recovered 622 of his bee colonies and most of the pallets – these had been repainted and branded with the name of another beekeeping company.

Rustlers Bees are an ideal target because a thief who is experienced in beekeeping is easily able to take control, transporting the bees at night along with their honey as ready-made contraband.

Manuka

In 2017 burglars stole a mass of bees from colonies throughout California and targeted other areas in the USA and Canada. There have been multiple thefts all over the USA in the last three years. Pavel Tveretinov, a beekeeper from Sacremento, was arrested as he was suspected of targeting the almond orchards of Central Valley. Detectives investigating the case in 2017 charged Tveretinov with stealing more than 2,500 hives worth a million US dollars. Tveretinov allegedly used the stolen bees for pollination and then hid them on a plot of land in Fresno County. If he is convicted he could face ten years’ imprisonment.

In 2016 in New Zealand there were 400 thefts in six months. The thieves have a ready market with an expanding trade in China whose citizens are lured by the false idea that manuka honey provides an aphrodisiac.

Bruce Robertson of the Haines Apiaries said, “There’s easy money to be made if you buy and sell hives.”

Robertson has been the victim of serial thefts to the extent that two of his 3,000 hives are stolen every week.

[See: Houston Chronicle: 17/2 17; The Times: 17/3/17]

Photo © Franc Sivic

Thieves are stealing hives, then renting out the bees to farmers for pollination. This crime is becoming lucrative and incidences increasing

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Manuka honey has tripled in price since 2012 and is now worth about £180,000,000 to the New Zealand economy. It is worth even more to the thieves and their Chinese conspirators.

Oxfordshire, UK. The police are still investigating the burglary which has resulted in what is thought to be the largest theft of its kind.

Bee thefts this year have reached a record level in Spain. As the profits grow, so does the nefarious conduct of the criminals with unscrupulous farmers paying gangs to steal their competitors’ hives. [See: The Times: 22/5/18] It has become an industry in itself¨ as crimes continue to soar, the profits to be made from illicit pollination enables the burglars to live in mansions.

Future The future does not look good for apiarists. The honest professional is likely to be a victim while the burglars choose greed over need.

Ged Marshall, Chairman of the British Bee Farmers Association, said: “The puzzling thing is how the thieves knew where the hives are to begin with. To find the site which is hidden away, you either must have been following someone for weeks or deliberately searching for the hives.”

This is an abridged edition of the article The feted Bee-keeper who stole the soul of a Stranger available on the Bees for Development website

In Kent (UK) the police have urged beekeepers to camouflage their hives - hide hives behind hedges or tall fences out of view of main roads and paint a muted colour - after a spate of thefts and arson attacks.

Nöel Sweeney is a practising British barrister specialising in criminal law and human rights, as well as animal law. He is the author of Bees-at-law reviewed in BfDJ 125

In February 2018 burglars stole 1,000,000 bees from Beekeeper Honey, a family-run business in

AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL The oldest English language beekeeping publication in the world. See a digital copy and subscribe at www.americanbeejournal.com BEE CRAFT UK Beekeeping Journal for beginners and seasoned apiarists. View a digital copy and subscribe at www.bee-craft.com BEE CULTURE The magazine of American beekeeping. Today’s techniques. Tomorrow’s ideas. US$15 for a digital subscription. See www.BeeCulture.com

notice board FUNDING OPPORTUNITY The Rome 1% Fund offers grants of up to US$ 5,000 (€4,500) for small-scale beekeeping projects, and is making a call for proposals from community groups in the following regions: the Caribbean, Latin America, and south-west Pacific. Applications can be made online at www.one-percent-fund.net TRAINING GRANT Conservation Workshop Grants fund organisations to train communities, stakeholders, park guards, and others on local and regional conservation issues. These grants support training workshops with hands-on learning components that will build capacity for people living in WWF priority places in select countries in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Organisations must meet all the eligibility criteria to be considered for a grant of up to US$7,500. See www.worldwildlife.org/ projects/conservation-workshop-grants HOTSPOT Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot Call. Small grants (maximum US$10,000) in Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe - applications only accepted upon invitation. To discuss your project idea with one of our team members first write to cepf-eam-rit@birdlife.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

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Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

Beekeeping in Ixcán, Quiché in northern Guatemala Antonio Reyes Montejo, Field Technician, EcoLogic Development Fund Quetzaltenango, Guatemala Collaboration

The beekeeping project in Ixcán, Quiché began in 2011. It resulted from a collaboration between EcoLogic Development Fund and Heifer International, with 100 bee hives being provided to 50 families. These families made the commitment to "pass on the gift" which means that they had to multiply their bees and give two colonies to another family.

We have two centrifugal honey extractors and equipment for harvesting for the seven communities in which EcoLogic is working. The equipment is shared during harvest time – with transportation mostly by foot.

We have trained Apicultural Promoters also, who are local leaders in each community. They are responsible for helping other members of the community and for the necessary equipment.

In many communities there is co-ordination among beekeepers. At harvest time they rotate the work, volunteering in each other’s apiaries, thus avoiding labour costs. It has been possible for beekeepers to take advantage of their resources, such as replacing sugarbased syrup with sugarcane juice for supplemental feeding during winter when there is a shortage of nectar.

Project goal I am one of two beekeeping technicians responsible for providing technical assistance and training, as well as inputs to beekeepers. Our goal has been to provide beekeepers with best practices to help increase production. For example, we have been working on reducing moisture levels to improve the quality of honey. We are now working with 250 beekeepers, many of whom are part of the “pass on the gift” process and others have taken it up on their own until they reach 10, 20, or 30 colonies.

Outcomes Beekeeping in Ixcán is growing as there is a favourable climate and plenty of vegetation and a diversity of species to support bees.

Luis Paau, one of the beekeepers said: “I had nothing, and this for me has been a great change. I acquired my first hives and year after year I increased them. Now I

Photos © Antonio Reyes Montejo

Beekeepers are provided with training on best practices to help increase production

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have twenty colonies. I dare to say that we are a strong and empowered group with the desire to continue working and fighting for what we love most.’’

Background

Antonio Reyes Montejo is Project Technician for EcoLogic's joint work with our local partner, Mancomunidad Frontera del Norte (MFN). EcoLogic Development Fund, a 501(c)(3) organisation founded in 1993, works to empower rural and indigenous people to restore and protect tropical ecosystems. We work in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico in some of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems.

MFN was created in 2005 with the integration of six municipalities in northern Guatemala to promote sustainable development through inter-municipal co-operation. Rural families in Guatemala depend on forest ecosystems for their livelihoods and survival, often through subsistence agriculture. Persistent poverty leaves many farmers with little choice but to use their land unsustainably and with an immediateterm perspective, primarily via slash-and-burn agriculture. This technique of cutting a portion of the forest and burning debris to release nitrogen into the soil has negative environmental impacts. EcoLogic and MFN are implementing a series of interrelated strategies to address this, including beekeeping and sustainable agriculture, building local capacity for the implementation of these initiatives, and linking them to incentives and markets.

Originally published in Spanish. Translation by Barbara Vallarino, Executive Director, EcoLogic Development Fund.

Learn more

www.ecologic.org www.mancomunidadfronteradelnorte.org

Honey harvest in San Antonio Tzeja

Two centrifugal honey extractors are shared between the seven communities where EcoLogic works

Participant families agree to “pass on the gift”: multiply their bees and give two colonies to another family 11

Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

The beekeeping sector needs realistic data Janet Lowore and Nicola Bradbear 3. Method and assumptions for the prediction not known

At Bees for Development we have long been aware of one honey production statistic that keeps appearing in reports and articles, and yet generates considerable disquiet in our office. It is this: Uganda is repeatedly stated to have an ‘estimated production potential of 500,000 tonnes of honey per year(1). We are extremely uncomfortable with this statistic for the following reasons: 1. It is clearly incorrect 2. What does production potential mean?

3. The method and assumptions for the estimate are unknown 4. The Ugandan honey sector can only fail against this potential target.

The figure of 500,000 tonnes is described as an “estimated potential”. Given that it is a potential figure and not actually measured there must be a set of assumptions or a model behind it. Most people who cite this figure simply state as their reference point the last person who said it. For example, in a publication recently published by the Kilimo Trust(3) the statistic is attributed to ‘Mr Butele from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF), Uganda’. In a research article

by Amulen et al (2017)(4) the statistic is referenced to Kalinzi et al (2015)(5). Kalinzi et al (2015) cite two sources Horn (2004) and Nadelman et al (2005). The Uganda Apiculture Sector Profile(6) mentions the ‘production potential of 500,000 tonnes per annum reported by Professor Helmut Horn of Germany in 1999’: maybe this is the original source. It would be interesting to see the methodology and assumptions on which the 500,000 figure was based.

1. It is incorrect World annual honey production is approaching two million (2,000,000) tonnes. How could 25% be produced in one African nation? The land area of Uganda is only 0.0016% of the total world land area(1), or to put it another way, China is 4,000 times larger in land area yet only comes close at 490,839 tonnes of honey per annum(2).

Does it mean there is scope for more bees, more beekeepers, or more trees? Or does it mean that available honey is not being marketed?

Let us consider what these assumptions might be. The current population of Uganda is estimated to be 42 million(7). But the production potential statistic dates, it appears, from 1999. The population of Uganda in 1999 was 21 million(8). Let us say an average beekeeper harvests 25 kg of honey per year.

A honey harvest of 500,000 tonnes (500,000,000 kg) of honey would be the work of 20 million beekeepers – almost the entire population in 1999. And that is not families, that is individuals and so must include every man, woman and child regardless of age, ability or inclination. Notwithstanding questions about available forage this must be impossible.

Table 1. Honey production against land area

4. Makes the beekeeping sector look bad

See Table 1 for a summary of this data.

2. What does ‘production potential’ mean?

Country/ place

Land area (km2)

China (worlds’ largest honey producer) World

9,388,211 129,733,172

Uganda

200,520

Actual honey production 2016 (tonnes)

490,839 1,786,999 Stated potential 500,000

Ugandan beekeepers, organisations and development projects which support the sector are working hard to develop apiculture in Uganda. If they are aiming for an unrealistic target they are bound to fail. It is not useful or right to hold a sector to an ideal and a target which is unrealistic. If the beekeeping sector will always be said to be underperforming until the total honey production in the country exceeds that of China, then the sector is doomed to forever fail.

For example, a news article published on the UK’s University of Bangor’s website in 2017 used the word ‘fail’ in the headline: ‘Uganda fails to fill its honey pot’, and it is not surprising that half way down the page is written: “Uganda currently harvests only 1% of a potential 500,000 tonnes of honey per year”(9).

Honey production (calculated) (tonnes/ km2)

0.050 0.014

2.490

Beekeeping is an important source of income for many thousands of farming families in Uganda. The achievements of the sector need to be properly

Source of data for land area (2) Source of data for honey production (1)

12

Photos © TUNADO

Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

Honey for sale during Uganda National Honey Week 2017. This showcase for the sector is a great annual event where the breadth and scale of the Ugandan beekeeping industry is on display a hypothetical figure. It is very difficult and expensive to measure actual production figures. FAOSTAT figures (used above) are not complete. Against nine countries FAOSTAT reports ‘data not available’ (including Uganda) and against more than 50 countries FAOSTAT reports imputed data, rather than official statistics.

understood and appreciated and it helps no one to endlessly repeat wrong and damaging data.

What is Uganda’s production potential?

The much-quoted production potential of 500,000 tonnes is not a metric that can be measured. An estimate by building a model based on assumptions.

In a recent article published in BBKA News(10) the author suggested that the UK honey sector was underperforming by comparing UK’s existing production with that of other European honey producing countries.

The article reveals that UK produces 40 kg/km2 compared to Germany 58 kg/km2 or Belgium 87kg/ km2(1). These yield per km2 production figures were calculated by dividing honey production figures from FAOSTAT by land area – the same method used in Table 1. This does not necessarily mean that UK beekeepers can easily increase honey production, however it is a useful comparison that provides UK beekeepers with a realistic comparison.

In Uganda’s Apiculture Sector Profile published in 2010 there is reference to the Ugandan National Livestock Census carried out in 2008, where it is stated that questions about bee hive ownership and hive occupation were included in the Census. This was an excellent and important step in collecting good data for the sector. Details about the Ugandan National Livestock Census are available at www.catalog.ihsn. org/index.php/catalog/3788/related_materials (Accessed 21 August 2018). An extract from the Census questionnaire is shown in Figure 1.

3.9 Bee Hives Population

Could Uganda do the same? If we look to Uganda’s neighbour, we see that the Tanzanian production figure is reported to 30,340 tonnes(2). Tanzania is nearly four times the size of Uganda and has more forest suitable for honey production. A rough analysis might suggest it unlikely for Uganda to produce more honey per km2 than Tanzania, therefore a production potential of 30,000 tonnes is probably beyond Uganda’s reach.

Type

Colonised

Not colonised

Production (Kgs, last 6 months)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

1. Local 2. KTB 3. Langstroth

How much honey does Uganda produce today?

4. TOTAL

Most countries have difficulty to measure actual honey production, without worrying about trying to work out

Figure 1. Questions asked about bee hives included within the 2008 Uganda National Livestock Census 13

Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

bring 250 tonnes of honey to market. We have evidence for this statistic. But we also think that this estimate of 250 tonnes is likely to be an underestimate of the country’s production because it excludes nonmembers, home consumption and informal honey selling. We know the importance of good data and are keen to secure resources to conduct a more comprehensive survey of honey production in Uganda”.

Unfortunately, the Summary Report of the Ugandan National Livestock Census(11) does not include the results of the bee hive question. Fortunately, the Uganda Apiculture Sector Profile does report the results stating: ‘In the National Livestock Census carried out in 2008, Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) reported that there are about 750,000 bee hives in Uganda, 65.5% of which are colonised and producing an estimated 2,600 tonnes of honey annually’. The authors of the Livestock Census are MAAIF, with the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. It seems surprising that if good data was collected by these two government institutions in 2008 this data is not more widely referenced. It is rare to find good data about bee hive numbers and honey production figures in any country, and it seems that in 2008, MAAIF showed considerable foresight to include this as a metric in the Livestock Census. Might it be that against the production potential of 500,000 tonnes the actual figures of 2,600 tonnes looked just too low? Might it be that misguided adherence to a wrong figure caused Uganda to ‘bury’ real data? If so (and we can only speculate), this is a great shame and demonstrates the damage caused by bad statistics.

End note Collecting good data about honey production is no easy task, and in this regard Uganda is not unique.

Including questions about beekeeping in an official Census as Uganda did in 2008 was a huge step in the right direction. Let us hope they include beekeeping in the next National Livestock Census. If this were so, it might be possible to know whether production has risen in the last ten years. Such a finding would be much more useful than adhering to a piece of bad data.

No one knows for sure the actual volume of honey harvested from Uganda’s honey bees, but we do know this: 1. Uganda does not have a production potential of 500,000 metric tonnes

Bees for Development asked The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation (TUNADO) for the current actual honey production figures for Uganda and this is the answer provided by the Director, Dickson Biryomumaisho:

2. It is important to have good data so that we can measure achievements and progress towards and establish realistic targets.

“We do not know the potential of the country as a whole. In fact, we do not know the current production figures. We do not have the capacity to count how many beekeepers there are in Uganda. We did ask UBOS if this could be included as a question in the national population Census, but they told us it was too expensive. We have asked MAAIF to help us. But they tell us the official data as follows: “Uganda currently harvests only 1% of a potential 500,000 tonnes of honey per year”. We have collected data from our members and those who have provided us with documented records of honey sales tell us that they

Table 2. Honey import and export data – did you know? (12) Imports in 2017 Germany UK Exports in 2017 Argentina Brazil Mexico

References

Metric tonnes 89,596 46,093 Metric tonnes 70,321 27,052 27,722

Sustain [Internet]. 2015; 2:81–90. Available from: http:// www.landusesustainabilityjournal.org/socioeconomicanalysis-of-beekeeping-enterprise-in-communitiesadjacent-to-kalinzu-forest-westernuganda.html [Accessed 20 August 2018 ]

1. WORLD BANK (2018) Land area information from data. worldbank.org/indicator/ag.lnd.totl.k2?view=map 2. FAOSTAT (2016) Data on agricultural production available from http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#search/honey [Accessed 20 August 2018].

6. The Uganda Apiculture Sector Profile 2010.

3. KILIMO TRUST (2018). Agri-business Potential in the Watershed Areas of Wadelai, Tochi, Mubuku II, Doho and Ngenge Irrigation Schemes. Draft unpublished report available from TUNADO library.

8. https://countryeconomy.com/demography/population/ uganda?year=1999 [Accessed 17 August 2018]

7. https://countryeconomy.com/demography/population/ uganda?year=2018 [Accessed 17 August 2018]

4. AMULEN,R.D.; D’HAESE,M.; AHIKIRIZA,E.; AGEA,J.G.; JACOBS,F.J.; DE GRAAF,D.C.; SMAGGHE,G; CROSS,P. The buzz about bees and poverty alleviation: Identifying drivers and barriers of beekeeping in sub-Saharan Africa.

PLOS. Published 24 February 2017. Available from http:// journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comments?id=10.1371/ journal.pone.0172820 [Accessed 20 August 2018].

9. https://www.bangor.ac.uk/reo/news/uganda-fails-to-fillits-honey-pot-31297 [Accessed 17 August 2018] 10. JONES,S. (2018), Rising to the global opportunity. BBKA News 225: 188-189.

11. UBOS(2018) A summary report of the Uganda national livestock census 2008. Available from http://catalog. ihsn.org/index.php/catalog/3788/related_materials [Accessed 20 August 2018

5. KALANZI,F.; NANSEREKO,S.; BUYINZA,J.; KIWUSO,P.; TURINAYO,Y.; MWANJA,C. Socio-economic analysis of beekeeping enterprise in communities adjacent to Kalinzu forest, Western Uganda. Int J Res land-use

12. https://comtrade.un.org/data/ [Accessed 20 August 2018] 14

Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

GHANA I am always pleased to receive Bees for Development Journal. I am excited to inspire local people here in Kete Krachi, in the northern Volta of Ghana, to attach beekeeping to their traditional yam farming.

Photo © Kafui Kwesi Appia

news

The picture shows Mr Gyingyi Nelson who has benefited a lot from the beekeeping I introduced to him two years ago. Following training he and his wife now have seven colonised hives and eight litres of honey from their first harvest.

In addition, they have extracted some beeswax and made honey wine from the residue obtained after honey extraction.

Kafui Kwesi Appia, Honeyforwealth Beekeeper’ Cooperative, Kete Krachi (right) Gyingyi Nelson

Photo © Adrian Watson

JAMAICA Show hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture to promote beekeeping as a sustainable living both in a rural and urban context.

At the June meeting of the Kingston and St Andrew Beekeepers’ Association new beekeepers were introduced to the correct processes for melting and cleaning wax Dr Khadijah Williams, one of the Directors of the Village Academy School of Agriculture, Moneague, St Ann, invited me to make a presentation on beekeeping as a source of income to the students who have at some stage come into conflict with the law and/or are from low income homes.

Promoting beekeeping at the Denbigh Agricultural Show Thank you for the Bees for Development Resource Box we received earlier this year. We have put the contents to good use at recent events.

The Jamaica Environmental Entrepreneurs’ Advocacy Network

in collaboration with Honai Beez Apiary advocates the role of entrepreneurship in environmental protection, with beekeeping as a major tool the outreach is promoting. I made a presentation at the annual Denbigh Agricultural 15

Dr Williams and I are now in discussion about starting beekeeping training at the School, certifiable under Jamaica’s National Vocational Training Qualifications programme.

Adrian Watson, Jamaica Environmental Entrepreneurs’ Advocacy Network, Kingston

Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

TANZANIA

Hurricane María in September 2017 caused devastation that is still affecting the Island. After reading an Instagram post about the natural disaster to our agriculture, I discovered the importance of bees and how essential they are to our recovery. I started to research and discovered that 90% of the bee population had disappeared after the hurricane. If one does not understand the importance of bees and does not act, our agriculture and our lives are at a major risk. Without bees we have no pollination, agriculture will suffer and our livelihoods are in danger.

I am a 9th grade student at Saint John’s School and together with another 40 students we are creating the Be a Bee Initiative. The Initiative is encouraging students to be part of the secret world of bees in Puerto Rico. Our mission is to unite people by bringing together schools from different parts around the Island.

The Initiative was launched on 3 March 2018, when we installed the first Beehive Observatory in our school allowing students to observe and discover the colony.

Our educational programme is starting to impact others and we want to share it!

Isabelle Ramseyer, San Juan

Sustainable Beekeeping and Human Development (SuBeHuDe) is a locally registered NGO established in 2015. SuBeHuDe is promoting Sustainable Human Development for the benefit of the public by the preservation, conservation and protection of the environment and the far-sighted use of resources.

We offer short courses on beekeeping and other subjects including biodiversity and environmental conservation, permaculture and sustainable resource management: see our website: www.subehude.or.tz. Thank you for the interesting material and information you send us through Bees for Development Journal.

Singu K Mayaya, Director, SuBeHuDe, Tabora Photo © Singu K Mayaya

PEURTO RICO

Participants from one of the recent beekeeping courses organised by SuBeHuDe

Support for training BfD Training Booklets and Training Cards are for use by beekeeper trainers in Africa.

Each booklet provides one day of training on one topic. The cards provide pictures and plans illustrating techniques discussed in the booklets. These are included in our Resource Boxes for training events and workshops.

Projects and associations in developing countries are welcome to apply for a Sponsored Resource Box by filling out an application form on our website, or request the form by email.

Projects in other areas can purchase Resource Boxes through our website store.

www.beesfordevelopment.org 16

Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

BOOKSHELF Directory of important world honey sources

Eva Crane, Penelope Walker and Rosemary Day 2018 reprint 384 pages softcover This book contains a vast quantity of precious data about plants and bees and it is marvellous to see it in print once again. Best of all would be if people selecting trees become aware of this useful information and consult it to inform their choice: nowadays we need whenever possible to choose species and cultivars with value to bees and other insect pollinators.

The meticulous work of gathering data and compiling it into this useful book was a labour of love for Eva Crane and her team. It was the outcome of many years’ scrutiny of the world’s research literature - across many languages, and carefully recording any data pertaining to plants visited by honey bees. By the 1980’s Eva Crane and her team had considerable data on thousands of plant species, each of them reported somewhere in the world to be major sources of honey. They then began the task of selecting from this lengthy list, those 467-plant species which could make it to the short list and be justifiably described as the ‘Important world honey sources’ of the book’s title. For each plant species, data is provided on its economic and other uses, how much nectar/pollen and/or honeydew it provides, honey flow data (if any exist), and concerning the honey’s chemical and physical properties.

Much of the research that is cited here is from meticulous 20th century field work, watching bees and recording their behaviour - long before the digital era – and of course the observations remain valid. The entries may look at first impenetrable – but persevere to learn the codes and once you begin using this book, you will become addicted to consulting it and the interesting body of work upon which it is built.

A guide to native bees of Australia

Terry Houston 2018 272 pages softcover This lovely new book will surely stimulate more interest in Australia’s great diversity of bee species. It represents Terry Houston’s work for over 50 years bringing together his wealth of knowledge and amazing photographs to describe the bees, their life cycle, nest architecture, and relationships with plants and other bees.

Australia has around 2,000 species of native bees occupying a wide diversity of habits, with the majority being solitary bees. Some species use wax for nest building, others work with silk or plant material, or burrow in soil or use holes in wood, or even in gum-nuts, the hard, woody fruit of the Eucalyptus tree.

The first part of this excellent guide is a general introduction to the morphology, evolution, behaviour and ecology. The second part will enable users to identify bees, at least as far as allocating them to their genus. A beautiful new guide.

Buzz – the nature and necessity of bees

Thor Hansen 2018 283 pages softcover Thor Hanson is one of the new generation of excellent nature writers, and here he turns his focus to bees, clearly explaining by means of engaging narrative, that bees are important in many more ways than people might imagine. Readers of this Journal may be most particularly interested in his learning about the Hadza people in Tanzania and the significance of the vast amounts of honey within their diet, though elsewhere in the book he describes bees’ contribution to the creation that is a Big Mac sandwich. This highly readable book delivers much learning about the natural history of bees, well-considered and scientific. An excellent new contribution to the growing number of books providing fresh perspective around bees and the crucial roles they fill.

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Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018

Bumblebees – an introduction

Nikki Gammans, Richard Comont, S C Morgan and Gill Perkins 2018 173 pages softcover An excellent new guide to the bumblebees of UK. People are increasingly interested to identify bumblebees, and this new book provides exactly what they need to do so. 27 species of bumblebees have been recorded in the UK, though three are now extinct, leaving 24 species to identify. Seven of these are relatively common throughout lowland UK and finding and identifying at least these seven is made easy with the excellent photographs – over 250, and explanation that this guide provides. This book has been prepared by staff from the UK Bumblebee Conservation Trust and gives abundant helpful advice for gardeners and everyone who aims to support these important, yet declining species.

The practical beekeeper – beekeeping naturally

Michael Bush 2011 643 pages Hardcover Michael Bush is a beekeeper in North America using frame hives and natural beekeeping methods. He began keeping bees in the 1970s with two hives, and today he maintains around 200 and shares his knowledge and philosophy via his website and YouTube. Under pressure to combine all his knowledge, he published The Practical Beekeeper in 2011, consisting of three volumes: Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced. This book is therefore valuable for those just starting out with their first frame hive, as well as the more experienced beekeepers looking for ways to help their existing colonies flourish. This guide is comprehensive and informative, and valuable not just for beekeepers in North America.

A honeybee heart has five openings

Helen Jukes 2018 292 pages, hardcover This book is about bees and humans, for it is a beautifully written account of how the author, while adjusting to a new job and home in Oxford, realises that things need to change if she is to create a meaningful life. For some years she has been learning about bees and beekeeping, and now her friends conspire for her to become a keeper of bees, choosing to house them in a top-bar hive. What does it mean to ‘keep’ wild creatures? Who knew that even Pliny the Elder had written how bees do not fit the usual categories of ‘wild’ or ‘domesticated’ animal - they can be ‘kept’ by the beekeeper, but not tamed. This tension still exists in today’s bee world, where some beekeepers are attracted by the independent nature of bees, while others seek to fully dominate their colonies. This book is enjoyable to read and informative too - for beekeepers and (not-yet) beekeepers alike. Highly recommended!

Helen Jukes will be interviewed by Nicola Bradbear in Monmouth on Wednesday 19 September, 7pm in Monmouth Priory. More details: rossiterbooks.co.uk

Biological beekeeping – the way back

Ed & Dee Lusby 1991 634 pages, hardcover Dee and Ed Lusby were some of the first beekeepers in recent times to advocate natural methods, describing their beekeeping in Southern Arizona in USA. This book is a collection of Dee Lusby’s writings, her research papers, and references to support her views on cell size and natural beekeeping. In this book the first hundred pages describe how Dee and Ed moved from conventional mainstream beekeeping methods, back to biological methods. The following five hundred pages are various articles and papers on relevant topics. This vast content makes this an extremely valuable reference source for anyone who wants to be scientifically informed on the important facing bees and beekeeping practices today.

• Secure order and payment at www.beesfordevelopment.org • Credit/Debit card: We need card number, name on card, valid from and expiry dates, card issue number (if given), security number on back of card.

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WAYS to pay

LOOK AHEAD BULgaria

Scottish Beekeepers Association Autumn Convention 22-23 September 2018, Glasgow Further details www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk

Canada

87th National Honey Show 25–27 October 2018, Sandown Racecourse Further details www.honeyshow.co.uk

Propolis in human and bee health Conference 28-29 September, Sofia Further details www.propolisconference2018.cim.bg/ APIMONDIA: 46th International Apicultural Congress 8-12 September 2019, Montréal Further details www.apimondia2019mtl.com

If you want notice of your conference, workshop or meeting to be included here and on our website, send details to Bees for Development.

ETHIOPIA

APIMONDIA Symposium 30 November – 4 December 2018, Addis Ababa Further details www.apisymposium2018.org

Bees for Development Events Strengthening Livelihoods Course 19 October, Monmouth Further details www.bit.ly/StreLi2018 Straw Skep Making Course 9 February, Peterstow, Hereford Further details www.bit.ly/Straw2019 Willow Skep Weaving Course 10 March, Peterstow, Hereford Further details www.bit.ly/Willow2019

GERMANY

5th ApiBio Symposium March 2019 Further details still to come

Guyana

9th Caribbean Beekeeping Congress 19–23 November 2018 Further details www.acboonline.com

INDONESIA

The 14th Asian Apicultural Association Conference 22–25 October 2018 Further details www.aaaconference2018.com

Bees for Development

Beekeepers Safaris

TURKEY

6th International Beekeeping & Pine Honey Congress 15–19 October 2018, Mugla Further details www.muglacongress.org/eng

Bee Safari to Ethiopia 15–24 November 2018, Ethiopia Further details www.bit.ly/EthSafari2018 Bee Safari to Trinidad & Tobago 11–21 February 2019, Trinidad and Tobago Further details www.bit.yl/TriniSafari2019

UK

Conwy Honey Fair 13 September 2018, Conwy Further details www.conwybeekeepers.org.uk

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APIMONDIA International Apicultural Congress MONTRÉAL, 8-12 SEPTEMBER, 2019 QUÉBEC - CANADA

Beekeeping together within agriculture

www.apimondia2019.com Bees for Development, 1 Agincourt Street, Monmouth NP25 3DZ, UK Telephone +44 (0)1600 714848 info@beesfordevelopment.org www.beesfordevelopment.org © Bees for Development 2018 ISSN 1477-6588 Printed on environmentally friendly paper