Information from ICIMOD - Himalayan farmers and indigenous honeybees

by Faroog Ahmed and the Project Team ICIMOD, Nepal

This is the first in a new feature bringing you news about the work of Austrian Government funded beekeeping projects based at ICIMOD.

BACKGROUND

Poverty and fragility are two major constraints to development in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH). Indigenous honeybees can play a very important role in addressing both issues; they pollinate important mountain crops and, at the same time, produce high value bee products. The indigenous honeybees include Apis dorsata, Apis florea and Apis laboriosa, (whose products are collected, but these bees cannot be kept in hives); and the native species Apis cerana, which is traditionally used in beekeeping. The HKH region is also home to many species of stingless bees, bumble bees, and solitary bees. Traditionally bees have been kept for the production of honey and other bee products. But as farmers turn more towards cash crops, especially fruit and vegetables, there is an increasing recognition of their important role in pollination.

Apis cerana is part of the natural heritage of mountain communities. However this bee is not always welcomed by commercial beekeepers and farmers, particularly in certain areas of the HKH, because of its lower honey yield and more difficult behaviour. Here, as in many regions of the world, survival of the native species is threatened by Apis mellifera, which has been introduced on a large scale. But Apis cerana offers potential benefits that are still not always recognised by farmers and development workers.

Unlike Apis mellifera, Apis cerana can survive in areas with large temperature fluctuations, and can be used for pollination of early flowering crops in the hills and mountains.

Apis cerana has an essential role to play in development in these remote areas in terms of pollination. Studies have shown that there are many different sub-species and locally adapted ecotypes, some of which may offer clear commercial and/or environmental advantages. In order to harvest the benefits of the Himalayan honeybees, we first need to properly understand their important role in conserving biodiversity and increasing farm productivity. The aim of the ICIMOD programme is to develop a better understanding of these issues through documenting information and through participatory action research. Beekeeping primarily benefits the landless and marginalised farmers who have limited options to support their livelihoods. Thus beekeeping is an important component in ICIMOD's approach to promoting the development of an economically and environmentally sound mountain ecosystem, and improving the living standards of mountain people.

THE HKH BEE PROJECT

The full project title is ‘Indigenous Honeybees of the Himalayas: a Community-based Approach for Conserving Biodiversity and Increasing Farm Productivity’. The major aim of the project is to promote sustainable management of Apis cerana, and of other indigenous honeybees that can be adopted by the communities in the HKH region, as a contribution towards the conservation of biodiversity, improvement of farm productivity, and increase in farm income.

Our main activities are concerned with:

- Apis cerana selection and management;

- integration of pollination in farming systems;

- indigenous honeybees and honey hunting communities;

- training, extension, networking, and capacity building; and

- marketing and micro-enterprise development.

We hope that we will see:

- an increase in the number of farmers raising Apis cerana as an income-generating activity;

- increased income for communities involved in beekeeping and honey hunting;

- increased farm income through pollination services;

- and a strengthened institutional capacity of bee-related organisations in the HKH region.

The programme involves detailed documentation, action research, training, and extension through collaborative mechanisms with local and regional partners (in Bhutan, China, India, Pakistan, as well as in Nepal). We are particularly concerned that we maintain a gender-balanced and community-based participatory approach. In the next issue of B&D we will be telling you more about these activities.

EXPLANATION PLEASE!

ICIMOD is the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, an international organisation devoted to the development of the Hindu Kush Himalayas region. ICIMOD is located in Kathmandu, Nepal. Read more about ICIMOD at www. icimod.org.np