175 charlotte lietaer
Post on 28-Nov-2014
102 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Impact of beekeeping on forest conservation, preservation of
forest ecosystems andpoverty reduction
Charlotte LietaerCharlotanza@gmail.com
22 October 2009WFC, Buenos Aires
Picture James Burke
1. Role of bees in nature
2. Role of bees for humans
3. Beekeeping, forest programmes and policies
4. Beekeeping and poverty alleviation
5. Conclusion: beekeeping is a
tool for raising awareness
about the importance of forest
conservation and preservation
of forest ecosystems and for
reducing poverty
1. Role of bees in nature
Pollination
Seeds
Conservation of ecosystems
Cross-pollination
Ensure biodiversity
1. Role of bees in nature (con’d)
Pollination of crop
Higher yields
More earnings
Better product quality
Higher prices for crop
2. Role of bees for humansCharacteristics of beekeeping
• Part of many traditional cultures• Beekeeping skills are easily transmitted from generation
to generation• Not a capital intensive activity, easy to start up with
locally available material• Not a labour intensive activity, can be combined with
farming activities• Can be practiced by young and old, male and female• Does not deplete natural resources• Additional source of income
2. Role of bees for humans (cont’d)
Beekeeping
Increased yield
Source of income
Source of high nutrient food (energy,
minerals, vitamins)
Source of natural
medicines
Creation of activities related to
beekeeping
Source of raw material in industries
Source of foreign
exchange
Economic value, and health and nutritional value
“If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.
No more bees, no more pollination … no more men!”
Albert Einstein
Picture James Burke
3. Potential role of beekeeping in forest programmes and policies
Bees live in trees
Trees are a source of nectar
More trees, more honey, more bees
More bees, better
pollination, better harvest, better product
quality
Better pollination,
richer biodiversity
3. Potential role of beekeeping in forest programmes and policies (con’d)
• Tool to re-establish the relationship between communities and nature.
• Tool to raise awarenessabout the importance and value of forests.
3. Potential role of beekeeping in forest programmes and policies (con’d)
• Beekeepers as advocates of sustainable forest management, forest conservation, agro-forestry and integrated pest management
• Beekeepers as Government partners in fighting illegal logging and forest wildfires
3. Potential role of beekeeping in forestry programmes and policies (con’d)
• Beekeeping as an alternative source of income during forest rehabilitation programmes
• Bee-reserves with exclusive access to beekeepers
• Reforestation with native melliferous plants
4. Potential role of beekeeping in poverty alleviation
During periods of food insecurity•Source of cash•Source of nutritious food
During illness•Source of cash to pay hospital fees•Cheap and safe natural medicine•Not labour intensive activity•Bees harvest even when not attended
During periods of political unrest and war•Bees continue to harvest, even when not attended•Bees harvest on mined fields•Can be practiced by displaced people
Climate change•As long as there are flowering plants, bees harvest
nectar
Beekeeping as a safety net
5. ConclusionBeekeeping can play an important role in forest
conservation, the preservation of forest ecosystems and in poverty reduction.
But….
•Need for beekeeping programmes supported by the Government
•Need for financial, extensional and technological support
top related