News

CONGO

As part of the conservation of biodiversity and improvement of income of the rural population of our locality, we established a beekeeping cooperative with 10 members, (six men and four women) in the village of Tchifouilou Maboukou (Tandou Bâ Loumbou) in the sub-prefecture of Hinda (Pointe Noire) with our hives on 50 hectares of land.

Since the launch of this Initiative in our community, we have felt a great enthusiasm from the population, who were unaware of the importance of beekeeping, who live on hunting and deforestation. Beekeeping will help with their wish to put an end to the sabotage of flora and fauna whilst ensuring their economic independence.

We are looking for support with training in beekeeping.Eric Djembo, President, Apimarie

Image © Eric Djembo

GUYANA

Happy to receive my very first copy of Bees for Development Journal (September 2019) in its potato starch packaging. Hah – I just spotted the bee on the cover!

I enjoyed the Journal and was excited to read all the articles. Some of the challenges we face here in Guyana are very similar to those expressed in the articles from Africa. I have already lent the Journal to my fellow beekeepers and I hope they are as encouraged as I was. I will be glad to receive the previous editions too.

Yimochi Melville, Rupununi

Image © Yimochi Melville

NIGERIA

I am Tsenzughul Myom and I developed an interest in beekeeping and honey processing long ago but I did not know how to start until I came across your Bee Bulletin*. I have started right away with top-bar hives that are already colonised two weeks since I placed them – I am excited and encouraged. I am also planning to train farmers in my community and beyond on this money-spinning business: awareness has already been created and many have been to visit see how I have started.

Image © Tsenzughul Myom

*Bees for Development’s BEE BULLETIN is an email bringing technical information. You can receive the Bee Bulletin free of charge: Sign up at our website www.beesfordevelopment.org

AND THE WINNER IS!

Congratulations to Aaron Kalala Karumba of APAA-Congo, the lucky recipient of a BfD Bag for Life after responding to our request to tell us when you received BfDJ 131.

(And thank you to everyone else who responded)

Sweet success Saving bees and improving livelihoods in Romania

As well as having a rich floral diversity, the Zarand landscape corridor in Romania provides an element of wilderness through which brown bears, Eurasian lynx and grey wolves move between the Western and Southern Carpathian Mountains.

The Zarand landscape is under increasing threat from new developments and is shifting away from small-scale agriculture. This puts local biodiversity and people’s cultural heritage at risk of being lost. Together with Zarand Association, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is working with local communities to protect their environment and promote sustainable agricultural practices and other rural business enterprises.

One way is by promoting beekeeping, which encourages communities to value and preserve wildflower meadows and sustainably managed forests because beekeepers rely on these habitats for bees to pollinate and produce honey from wild flowers, and trees including Acacia and lime.

Beekeeping is a traditional farming practice in the area with up to 60 beekeepers. However, it is in decline as young people are increasingly moving away from rural villages to earn higher incomes elsewhere. By coming together, beekeepers can strengthen their bargaining power and collectively achieve better prices for their honey than they could as individuals. FFI supports the sale of their honey at a fair price so that farmers can earn an income based on the Fairtrade principle – which seeks to provide local farmers with more favourable prices and improved access to markets for sustainable agricultural products.

FFI has supported the creation of a unique Zarand brand, which farmers can use to differentiate their products. By marketing with this distinctive brand, farmers can showcase their pure and premium honey derived from the Zarand landscape and sell their products at a higher price directly to shops and at fairs. This helps consumers recognise that they are buying a traditionally produced, natural honey of a higher quality than many other products on sale.

The honey is produced in line with EU food safety standards, so while it is currently only on sale in Romania, it is planned to expand into other EU countries in the future.

As the Zarand brand grows, it is hoped that more farmers will join the initiative and therefore have a greater incentive to continue to manage the land in ways that preserve the beautiful Zarand landscape corridor.

Comunity Facilitator for the project, Anca Barbu, said: “One of Zarand’s locals went to Arad and he saw the honey for sale in a store. He knew about the plans for selling the honey but seeing it on that shelf made him believe that beekeeping in the area has a chance to prosper.”

Source: www.fauna-flora.org

The Zarand landscape corridor is a beautiful mosaic of meadow and forest habitats

Image © Olivia Bailey/FFI

FFI is supporting local communities to market and sell traditional products under the distinct Zarand brand

Image © Anca Barbu/Asociatia Zarand