Eco-responsible Apiculture for the Protection of the Environment
Zéro Pauvre Afrique / Zero Poverty Africa (ZPA) promotes apiculture that respects biodiversity and the environment, and contributes to increasing incomes of the most vulnerable households.
Overview of the project
The administrative region of Labé continues to face a series of problems which considerably hinder economic and social development in the localities, such as low levels of productivity of family farms and market access for agricultural products, as well as the abuse of natural resources and the environment. Almost all the populations of this landlocked region are agro-pastoral and many practice apiculture, mainly the most vulnerable and poorest strata (youth and women).
The “Eco-responsible apiculture for the protection of the environment” project aims to encourage the development of the apicultural sector in order to guarantee food security and protect the environment in the Labé administration region. It hopes to promote initiatives for the qualification and quantification of apicultural production, the processing of beehive products and their sale within targeted unions and groups. Additionally, it hopes to launch a honey promotion system, aiming to facilitate product access for the poorest consumers and find a remunerative price for the producer.
This strategy will make it possible to consolidate and strengthen access to food through viable and sustainable family farming in the Labé region. This will also allow for the sharing of achievements on a broader scale and thus contribute to a documentation of this agricultural model’s sustainability, which may challenge decision-makers to take these issues into account in public policies.
In order to overcome the various problems encountered by producers – production, marketing and promotion – the project is implementing a number of activities:
- Training courses on techniques and technological aspects, methodological advice for apiaries, the management of honey production, and honey and wax processing techniques
- Promotion of apicultural products and ownership of upstream marketing of hive products by grassroots community organisations (unions and groups)
- Information and communication on the physico-chemical composition, nutritional value and virtues of honey (little known by locals which is partly the cause of low consumption)
- Preparation and provision of more efficient apicultural materials and equipment of the targeted unions and groups
- Commercial meetings (organisation of a honey tasting fair and promotion of apicultural products)
Promote apiculture that respects biological diversity and the environment, and improve incomes of the most vulnerable households.
Ongoing research
- 435 beekeepers from seven unions of apiculturists’ groups are equipped with the appropriate production and development equipment, and harvesting kits.
- 275 leading beekeepers (men and women) are trained on techniques and technological aspects, and receive methodological advice on how to run an apiary, as well as techniques for processing honey and wax (candle and soap making, etc.).
- Launching of a honey promotion system.
- Development of a sustainable apicultural sector and improvement of marketing methods.
- Agroforestry is promoted through the reforestation of 25,000 melliferous plants in the short term (and average of 3,250 per zone) with a view to extend production areas and forests.
- The risk of massive destruction of bee colonies by the use of fire during honey harvests is reduced by more than 70% following the introduction of new apicultural practices.
- The income of honey pickers is increased.
Grant from the SIG Patronage Fund in Geneva, Switzerland.
organisation
Zéro Pauvre Afrique / Zero Poverty Africa (ZPA), an NGO under Guinean law with “SPECIAL” consultative status to the United Nations’ ECOSOC, works with communities to strengthen their resilience on key development issues. Activities, covering several areas, are identified in a participatory and inclusive manner. The approach consists of participatory community auditing to identify and prioritise needs, but also to develop responses that will be implemented by the communities. ZPA generally deals with the mobilisation of resources (human, financial, material) and local operational support.