Honey : a valuable non-timber forest product (NTFP) and fire management tool

Envirotrade has worked closely with Food For the Hungry to bring new technology to beekeeping in Nhambita. Bee farmers are a powerful lobby in the community and research has shown that areas of the forest were they place their hives are generally not burnt. The project aims to build a working alliance with the bee farmers to fight poverty and fire. By forming a formal bee keeping association and bringing trainers into the community it is hoped that yields will increase and improved harvesting techniques and other technology will improve the commercialisation of the honey and provide much needed income to the community.

Traditionally bee farmers stripped the bark of a large hardwood tree (thereby guaranteeing that it would die) and pegged and dried the bark to make a hive. This unsustainable method of building hives is being replaced as new Kenyan Hives are manufactured by craftsmen in the community. This new technology offers many advantages to the farmers including increased yields, cleaner honey and easier access to the swarm. The new hives have been well received by the farmers and the carpenters have begun a micro-business that brings new capacity and income to the community.

Envirotrade and Food for the Hungry are targeting bee farmers as important allies in the fight against uncontrolled burning in the community. By working with bee farmers to protect zones of the forest from fire the project benefits. Species selection for reforestation includes many bee fodder species that are popular with bee farmers and have a greater value to the community. This gives the community yet another incentive to conserve these trees.

The processing and sale of the honey is an important objective and the project hopes to empower women to become involved in the commercialisation of the honey and contribute to wealth creation in Nhambita.

The project has provided training, assisted farmers in obtaining protective clothes, new hives and equipment and assisted in the setting up of the carpentry enterprise by supplying training, tools and start up capital. A generous donation by Mark Blomfield has enabled the project to extend its reach and produce many more Kenya top-bar hives. The knock-on effect of Mark's donation to the bee keeping component of the project has also benifited the community carpentry project.