News around the World

CHINA

China issues national standards for honey

China has issued a set of compulsory national standards for honey, which will take effect from 1 March 2006. The compulsory standards stipulate that no starch, sugar, or sugar substitutes may be added to honey. The standards also ban the addition or mixture of foreign substances such as preservatives, and specify the methods and principles to test adulteration in honey. Under the new standards, the naming of honey products is integrated with international standards. If any other nutritious substances are added to honey, 'honey' may not be used in the name of the product.

www.chinadaily.com

GHANA

Since 1992, The Bencom Mushroom Enterprise Project at Twimia Nkwanta, near Techiman, has trained more than 500 youths each year in beekeeping, grasscutter rearing, mushroom production, and snail farming. Bernard Bempah, Managing Director of the Company said that the project served as the training centre in the northern sector of the country.

The International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the Rural Enterprise Project sponsored the training programmes to enable youths to acquire employment skills. Students from some agricultural institutions in the country undertake practical training at the project site and Mr Bempah appealed to financial institutions and NGOs to offer credit facilities to such students to initiate their own projects.

ghanaweb.com

INDONESIA

Cashing in on Australian bees

Some might have qualms about interacting with bees but not Ahmad Mustafa who has been living with them for the past 20 years. Ahmad, 58, is the sole bee farmer in Kampung Perpat Timbul village, Johor and his secluded house is located near Tanjung Piai, the southernmost tip of mainland Asia.

Ahmad decided to go into beekeeping after he enrolled on a course aimed to diversify his income as a rubber producer and fisherman. "Initially, I reared local bees but I switched to 'Australian' bees eight years ago", Ahmad said. In 1997, Ahmad went to Melbourne to attend a course at an agricultural institute for three months where he found it easier dealing with 'Australian' bees. Ahmad said the exotic species Apis mellifera was 'tame and gentle', while local bees were 'fierce and wild' despite being reared in farms. He said it was much easier to collect honey from the 'Australian' bees unlike the local bees, which were more territorial.

Ahmad said he had to wear protective gear or smoke the local bees off if he wanted to collect their honey, but did not have to do so with the 'Australian' ones. He said his farm receives visitors regularly, so it was safer to keep the 'Australian' bees as they would not be agitated by a human presence.

Ahmad buys 20 queen bees at RM100 (€22, US$27) each and the bees are individually placed in special cases during their flight from Australia. "Each box can produce 1.5-2 kg of honey in 40-45 days or even faster depending on the supply of nectar", he said. The bees find their food from the surrounding areas which is filled with banana trees, durian, mango, rambutan, and flowering plants. Ahmad said the taste of the honey depends on the fruit nectar gathered by the bees, with durian having the top taste followed by coconut. He said the bees fly up to 1.5 km in search of food.

Ahmad processes and bottles his own honey in his backyard with the help of some basic honey extraction equipment. A small bottle of pure honey costs RM15.0 (€3.4, US$4.0) while a big bottle is priced at RM20.0 (€4.5, US$5.4).

Zazali Musa, www.thestar.com

SOLOMON ISLANDS

© Kathleen Cooper and Peter Hardie

Rachel and Mary, Life Skills Students at Airahu Rural Training Centre with their popular bee veils. The veils are sold throughout the Islands for US$5 each.

At the Training Centre, beekeeping can be a cross discipline study with the departments of carpentry, agriculture, and life skills (home economics) all getting involved.

UGANDA

ADB pledges US$9m to boost honey sector

The African Development Bank (ADB) has pledged a US$5 million grant and US$4 million loan to help boost Uganda's honey production capacity. ADB Country Operations Officer Benedict Kanu was quoted saying that the bank has expressed interest in honey production in Uganda as one of the ways of fighting poverty. He was meeting honey producers under their umbrella association, Uganda Honey Beekeepers Association (UHA), who had submitted a proposal to ADB for assistance to boost production. UHA Secretary-General Christopher Karamagi said the Government recently recognised the beekeeping industry but there is still limited funding. "As of now, we get limited domestic and foreign donor funding to help the industry, yet it has huge potential to alleviate rural poverty", said Karamagi. Uganda's honey production is still below subsistence, and domestic consumption is generally limited to use of honey as a natural medicine. Karamagi said due to this low production, UHA buys only good quality honey at 1,500 Ugandan shillings, equivalent to €0.70, US$0.83 per kilogram.

He said there is an insatiable demand for honey and its products in both the domestic and foreign markets. "We have some orders from Norway which need 300 tonnes, Germany 1,000 tonnes and Kenya 40 tonnes, but we are still constrained by limited working capital", said Karamagi.

www.chinaview.cn

UGANDA and KENYA

East Africa firms to reap from fund

One thousand small enterprises in Kenya and Uganda will benefit from the $100m East Africa Small Enterprises Fund. A statement from Shell Foundation said the first phase of the rollout programme would begin in the two countries. Over the next 12 months, the Fund will finance small enterprises in other sub- Saharan countries as local and international investors get on board. Based on successful pilot programmes in Uganda and South Africa, the Fund is expected to improve the livelihoods of many Africans. Contributors to the Fund are Shell Foundation, Africa-based financial specialist GroFin Capital, Commonwealth Development Corporation, Netherlands Development Corporation and two leading African banks. Launched on 1 July 2005, the Fund is the first initiative by international and local financiers to address lack of finance and business skills for small African businesses. In Uganda, the pilot project benefited Maria Odido, a honey producer, who used the fund for a five-fold increase in output. Under the model, the fund manager works with the entrepreneur to fine-tune the business plan before deciding whether to approve finance. The entrepreneur pays market rates for the loan and limits their debt with a profit-sharing scheme.

David Muwanga, New Vision Online

UK

Marmalade dropped for a taste of honey

Sales of honey have soared in the past year while those of marmalade and jam continue to fall, according to new figures. A generation ago honey came in just two varieties: clear and set. But shoppers are now able to choose from dozens of types. Experts said that the new choice was largely responsible for persuading an extra 490,000 households to buy honey in the past year - an increase of 4.5%. Sales of marmalade and jam fell by 7% and 3% in the same period. The overall market for honey is now worth £361 million and marmalade £354 million.

The company that compiled the figures said that as well as being lured by the new range, shoppers could be turning to honey because they believed it was a healthy alternative to sugar-rich jam and marmalade. Simon Hulbert, of market research analysts TNS, which monitors the buying habits of 15,000 households, said the health benefits of food were becoming more important to shoppers. "Honey is increasingly a more valuable sector than marmalade. In comparison, marmalade and jam are losing shoppers".

Tim Hall, www.telegraph.co.uk

Honey eases a hangover

Honey eases a hangover and is the best remedy for pounding heads and heaving stomachs. Dr John Emsley from the Royal Society of Chemistry explained that the happiness comes from alcohol, the hangover comes from acetaldehyde. That is the toxic chemical into which alcohol is converted by the body and it causes a throbbing headache, nausea and maybe even vomiting. The hangover disappears as acetaldehyde is slowly converted to less toxic chemicals - that is the science. Only time cures a hangover as the acetaldehyde in the body gradually dissipates. But eating toast and honey could speed up recovery by replenishing sodium, potassium and fructose.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

Honey recall highlights danger of counterfeits

The discovery of veterinary medicine residues in a UK brand of honey has again underlined the potential threat posed by counterfeit products. Distributor Morris & Sons removed Natural Choice Brand Pure Clear Honey from supermarket shelves after elements of chloramphenicol and sulphonamide were detected. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) reported that the honey was adulterated with invert syrup, and was said to have an odd taste. As such, the FSA considers the honey to be a counterfeit product. This underlines a worrying trend. In 2004, the amount of fake food and drinks entering the EU grew by 200%. By comparison the average growth of all faked goods, including cigarettes, cosmetics, clothes, toys, grew by 12%.

Counterfeiting and tampering can undermine consumers' trust in the quality and safety of a branded food product, leading to a loss in market share. And, as in this case, can pose a potential threat to health. Both chloramphenicol and sulphonamide are illegal. Chloramphenicol, which it is thought could cause cancer, can also lead to aplastic anaemia in susceptible people. Exposure to chloramphenicol in food in any quantity is undesirable, but the level of risk will depend on how much is consumed and how frequently. Chloramphenicol has been banned in Europe for use on animals since 1994 and it is illegal for it to be in honey. The presence of sulphonamide in honey is also illegal. About 4.4 million items of foodstuff, drinks and alcoholic items were seized in the EU last year. The total represents 4% of the total of counterfeit items seized.

Anthony Fletcher, www.foodnavigator.com/news

USA

California's first honey factory has gone solar. Miller's Honey, located in Colton celebrated the completion of a 120 kW solar photovoltaic system on its facility. The project was designed and installed by Permacity and secured a utility renewable energy rebate of US$50,000. This has reportedly lowered the factory's monthly electrical bill from approximately US$2,500 to US$250.

www.RenewableEnergyAccess.com

YEMEN

Honey industry gains higher dimensions

The production of Yemeni honey is reported at an annual total of 1,706 tonnes by the Ministry of Agriculture, December 2005. 17% of the quantity produced is exported, generating income of US$ 9 million. The same report indicated that the number of bee colonies exceeded one million. This is considered a significant increase and shows the economic investment potential. A spokesperson said that the Ministry is considering investing in the honey sector, among the five strategic crops to support in the coming development plans.

The Taiz-based honeybee development project, established in 1993 with German funding, is now being considered as a potential national economic project. Muqbil Naser Al-Bahr, General Manager, explained that the project, in co-operation with the beekeepers and IDAS, had carried out 253 training courses for more than 4,037 beekeepers from all over the country. 4,260 field and office visits were made to 3,800 beneficiaries in light of this training programme and 83 field surveys were conducted for 539 beekeepers.

The honey sector is encouraged to create its own associations and networks. This would be considered a significant step for this industry, include it in the organised sector of the national economy, and would assist the beekeepers in marketing their products and beekeeping tools. A database of the beekeeping industry and relevant information will be created during the project implementation.

www.Yemen Times.com

ZAMBIA

© MOSES MULENGA

Kasempa Beekeepers Update

Thanks to ILO a further 138 top-bar hives were bought and distributed in December 2005 to the 16 groups who were awaiting support in my report in BfDJ 75. The beekeepers used bicycles to transport the hives to their apiary in Kamalamba Area, Kasempa. I urge ILO to continue their support through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security as we still have more farmers interested to venture into beekeeping. I hope Bees for Development will continue to sponsor me to receive BfDJ and to send training materials for 2006.

Moses Mulenga

Honey goes to waste

Tonnes of honey worth millions of kwacha are going to waste in Mufumbwe District in North Western Province. Mufumbwe's Kavipupu ward councillor, David Khumbi, said that commercial honey collectors were finding it difficult in securing a market for their honey and that 1,500 20-litre containers of honey were in people's homes, as there were no buyers for the product. Many beekeepers were losing money and if no market was found their produce would go to waste. Mr Khumbi said Kabompo Honey Factory had only bought 100 tonnes from the beekeepers leaving many of them stuck with their honey.

He identified some places where honey was in abundance - Kavipupu, Kalengwe, Musonwenji and Mushima - among other areas where honey collectors were in dire need of buyers for their honey.

Zambia News Agency 18 October www.zana.gov.zm/news

Honey production in Zambia

Zambia's woodlands resonate with two kinds of buzz. First is the hum from the millions of bees gathering nectar from the surrounding dry forests. Second is the buzz of excitement among local villagers who see honey production as a potential source of livelihood. Zambia's woodlands cover millions of hectares, with a significant portion forming part of the larger miombo woodland covering much of central and eastern Africa. They provide an excellent habitat for bees, which in most seasons deliver a surplus of honey.

The first Zambian written records of hives date back to 1854, when David Livingstone described the log hives used by the Southern Lunda people on the upper Zambezi in North- Western Province. According to Guni Mickles- Kokwe, a natural resource scientist from the Zambia Alliance for People and Environment, "Trade in beeswax started in the late 1890s when Zambians travelled by foot through Angola to the Atlantic coast. A hundred years later and the long-distance trade in honey and beeswax still provide an important source of livelihood for many people in rural Zambia. Today organically certified, golden honey and beeswax find their way from rural homesteads into lucrative markets throughout the world".

In North Western Province 10,000 beekeepers own 500,000 hives and produce about 1,000 tonnes of honey and at least 100 tonnes of beeswax per year. Half the honey is exported while 80-100 tonnes are sold on local markets, with the remainder used to brew a local beer called mbote.

Because most honey and beeswax is exported, it has become an important source of foreign exchange for Zambia. Exports - mostly to Europe - remained stable throughout the 1990s, but started increasing rapidly after 2000 as new companies entered the business.

"Honey and beeswax have become an important source of livelihood for thousands of people in Zambia. About one third of the beekeepers' annual cash income comes from honey and beeswax trade", said CIFOR scientist Crispen Marunda.

Marunda and Mickles-Kokwe's research has found the linkages between beekeeping and forest management in Zambia to be quite strong. Because honey and wax are so important to the beekeepers' daily struggle against poverty, they are very aware of the need to prevent forest fires. And the presence of so many bees has increased woodland productivity due to increased rates of pollination among flowering trees, enhanced plant regeneration rates and helped maintain high levels of diversity.

However, the mortality among some tree species has increased due to beekeepers harvesting their fibrous bark to make hives. While the current level of honey and wax production is improving, Mickles-Kokwe and Marunda believe there is still a lot more that can be done to ensure production reaches its fullest potential. The two scientists believe a number of factors are constraining the industry:

• Conflict over land access between honey producers and loggers, with the latter seeming to have more rights than the beekeepers;

• Limited resource base due to existing laws that define honey and beeswax as minor forest products and restrict beekeeping to forests outside national forests;

• Lack of monitoring and regulation of beekeepers by the Forestry Department due to financial and human resource constraints;

• Absence of accurate industry data in such areas as production levels, output and marketed volume;

• Inadequate support for organic certification, which is central to achieving premium export prices, a better and healthier product and better forest management;

• Unco-ordinated industry regulation by different government agencies who oversee various aspects of honey production, for example beekeeping as a commercial activity, bees as live animals, honey as a food item.

"The most pressing need at the moment is to reform the beekeeping policy. If the right measures are implemented, honey production could increase from 1,000 to 15,000 tonnes a year", Marunda said. Hopefully such reforms will not be far off. In response to a request by Zambia's Forestry Department, CIFOR is helping Zambia develop a beekeeping policy. In 2004, the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) funded CIFOR to review Zambia's beekeeping industry and run workshops to identify constraints among key beekeeping stakeholders. The report and the workshops have both provided recommendations that will form a base for further policy discussion. They have also contributed significantly to a policy draft now being prepared by the Forestry Department with assistance from CIFOR.

CIFOR News Online 39

RECENT RESEARCH

The secret is out - bees can fly!

In 1996, Charlie Ellington at Cambridge University, UK, showed that vortices rolling along the leading edge of many insects' wings are a vital source of lift. Most flying insects beat their wings in large strokes - typically flapping in arcs of 145-165° at a frequency determined by body size - to generate aerodynamic forces sufficient for flight. But this cannot explain how a heavy insect with a short wing beat, such as a bee, generates enough lift to fly.

Aeronautical engineers had previously 'proven' that bees cannot fly. Insect flight expert Michael Dickinson, and colleagues at Caltech in Pasadena, California USA, decided to investigate the forces actually at work during honeybee flight.

Exotic forces

Dickinson and his colleagues filmed hovering bees at 6,000 frames per second and plotted the unusual pattern of wing beats. The wing sweeps back in a 90° arc, and then flips over as it returns - an incredible 230 times a second. The team made a robot to scale to measure the forces involved.

"It is the more exotic forces created as the wing changes direction that dominate", says Dickinson. Additional vortices are produced by the rotation of the wing. It is like a propeller, where the blade is rotating too. Also, the wing flaps back into its own wake, which leads to higher forces than flapping in still air. Lastly, there is another peculiar force known as 'added-mass force' which peaks at the end of each stroke and is related to acceleration as direction of the wings changes. The work may help engineers design rotating propellers or more stable and manoeuvrable aircraft. "But it proves that bees can fly", adds Dickinson.

Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (DOI: 10.1073_pnas.0506590102)

The original report by Helen Phillips can be seen at www.NewScientist.com