In Issue 81

Dear friends

This edition brings you a report of BfD's African Honey Trade Workshop that has just taken place in Uganda. Motivation to run this event arises from our perception that the potential for apiculture to bring significant economic development and hence poverty alleviation to Africa, is not yet being achieved. Thousands of poor beekeeper-farmers in Africa have the means and knowledge to harvest honey from bees, yet lack access to reliable markets.

That the Workshop took place depended upon two crucial factors: sponsors with vision who were willing to provide funds for it to happen, and local partner organisations willing to provide the essential logistic support to ensure it happened well. More details on pages 3, 4 and 9.

While they have problems in marketing their honey, beekeepers in most of sub-Saharan Africa are in the highly enviable situation of having honey bee populations that are free from introduced diseases and predators. This is not the case in most of the world, where beekeepers keeping Apis mellifera (the western honey bee) have to contend with a range of ‘new’ diseases and predators. And here comes another one - Nosema ceranae - read about it on page 6. Beekeepers in Bermuda (page 7) know all about exotic problems - their bees are pestered by introduced toads and ants - but these hassles seem minor compared to their main issue nowadays - lack of land and forage for bees. Meanwhile, for quite different reasons, beekeepers in Afghanistan (page 12) lack the support they need, while it is clear that beekeeping is just the type of activity that can help the rural economy.

Many good activities are underway around the beekeeping world: we hope you enjoy discovering more news of them in this edition!

Nicola Bradbear, Director Bees for Development

Bees for Development

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