The African honeybee may be tiny, but it is an increasingly giant force in the drive towards self-reliance and sustainable conservation. It also forms part of a shift towards community self-help and away from dependence on charity interventions.
In Africa, much of the success of wildlife conservation has long been tied to travel and tourism industry income. One of the lessons that the Covid-19 pandemic downturn highlighted was that this model was particularly vulnerable. The growth in apiculture is one potential solution to this over-reliance. Recent initiatives have engaged local beekeepers in sustainable farming which creates an ecofriendly alternative source of income, encourages community engagement and promotes environmental protection.
This modest little insect is also contributing to a range of other hugely important developments in the country - asof women, entrepreneurship, food security, peace building, climate change adaptation and human-wildlife conflict mitigation across Kenya.
