Harnessing the power of bees

INTRODUCTION
Nature-based beekeeping is an approach that places ecological balance and local practice at the centre of apiculture development. Unlike conventional hive-donation projects that often fail due to weak project logic and limited technical training, nature-based beekeeping emphasizes working with nature, indigenous knowledge aligned with improved standards, and locally available materials to create sustainable systems.

By integrating beekeeping with land restoration, bee-friendly agriculture, and horticulture, this method strengthens pollination services, supports biodiversity, and generates resilient income streams for rural communities. It bridges improved technical standards with indigenous knowledge, ensuring that beekeeping contributes not only to honey production but also to forest conservation, food security, and long-term livelihood improvement.

Core Principles of Nature-Based Beekeeping
Use of Local Materials
Hives and equipment are constructed from locally available, affordable, and sustainable resources, reducing dependency on external donations. Woven and top-bar hives are kind of hives which can be easily prepared by beekeepers’----- no special skill needed to make the hive to start beekeeping as well as to increase number of hives. Therefore, through nature based beekeeping everyone can be a beekeeper including the poor segment of the community because it is a matter of using available resources around.
Biodiversity Restoration and Conservation
Beekeeping is tied to land restoration, agroforestry, and horticulture, enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services. Restored forests, agroforestry plots, and rehabilitated farmlands provide diverse nectar and pollen sources, which strengthen colony health and productivity. In return, honeybees enhance pollination, accelerating the regeneration of native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, thereby stabilizing soils and improving ecosystem resilience. This reciprocal relationship not only conserves biodiversity but also creates sustainable livelihoods: communities benefit from honey and other products sales while simultaneously safeguarding forests and farmlands. By linking beekeeping with land recovery, nature-based beekeeping transforms beekeepers into upholders of biodiversity, ensuring that economic gains are inseparable from ecological stewardship.
Community Empowerment
Nature-based beekeeping is not just about bees and hives—it is about strengthening communities through knowledge, ownership, and participation. Instead of relying on external hive donations, this approach equips local people with the skills to construct hives from available materials, manage colonies, and harvest honey responsibly. Training programs emphasize practical, hands-on learning, enabling youth, women, and marginalized groups to become active participants in beekeeping. By fostering cooperative structures, communities can pool resources, share experiences, and collectively market honey, ensuring fair income distribution. Empowerment also extends to decision-making that communities are encouraged to design apiary sites, integrate beekeeping with land restoration, and monitor biodiversity outcomes. This builds confidence, resilience, and a sense of custodianship, transforming beekeepers into agents of ecological stewardship and economic development.
Resilience and Inclusivity
Designed to strengthen rural livelihoods, involve youth and women, and build resilience against environmental and economic shocks.
Technical Components

Beehives
Top-bar hives, log hives, bamboo woven hives and other locally adapted models are a kind of hives which are easy to make using locally available materials. Beekeepers can craft hives from bamboo, eucalyptus, or clay, woven grasses and others. Bee hives are designed in a way that suitable for bees.

Apiary Sites
Apiary sites should support biodiversity restoration — for example, placing hives near reforested areas, agroforestry plots, or mixed horticulture fields. Avoid heavy pesticide use; bees thrive in organic or low-chemical landscapes. Nature based beekeeping encourage pollination corridors by linking apiaries with diverse plantings, which benefits both bees and local crops.

Working with bees
Encourage bees to reproduce naturally through swarming. Catch swarms from the wild or from managed colonies to start and expand beekeeping while simple colony splitting is an added easy technique to do as an approach. Rely on strong genetics and natural resistance rather than chemicals. Maintain clean hives and avoid overcrowding to reduce stress and disease spread among the bee hives.

Working with nature

The pivotal component of nature based beekeeping is land restoration and biodiversity conservation works in a way that ecological restoration can support beekeeping livelihood in a sustainable way. Thus, planting nectar and pollen source trees helps bees to get food source for good honey yield. Beekeepers play a crucial role in forest conservation by making forests economically valuable through honey production, while simultaneously supporting biodiversity through pollination and sustainable land use. Their work links livelihoods with ecological stewardship, ensuring that communities protect forests instead of clearing them.
Economic & Social Benefits
Nature-based beekeeping generates sustainable income by producing high-quality honey, beeswax, and other hive products that can be marketed locally or through traceable eco-honey supply chains. Because hives are made from local materials and colonies thrive in restored ecosystems, production costs remain low while returns are steady. Beyond income, beekeeping strengthens food security by improving pollination for crops, fruits, and vegetables, leading to higher yields and diversified diets. Socially, it empowers rural communities by creating opportunities for youth and women, fostering cooperative enterprises, and building resilience against environmental and economic shocks. The collective nature of training, hive-making, and marketing also enhances social cohesion, encouraging communities to work together in conserving forests and biodiversity while sharing the benefits of apiculture. In this way, economic gains are directly tied to ecological stewardship, ensuring that livelihoods and conservation progress hand in hand.

INTRODUCTION
Organic products are those made without the use of synthetic chemicals or artificial fertilizers. In the case of honey ensuring it is organic can be a challenging thing to do as bees forage for nectar within a range of 3km from their hive meaning that for honey to be called organic there can be no artificial chemical use within the 28km2 area around the hive. This is one of the reasons that so few Ethiopian honey producers re organic certified.

For forest honey in South West Ethiopia this is not much of a concern as there is little to no use of these chemicals within the area and so most of the honey produced is organic by nature. To sell honey as organic however, you have to prove that this is the case. The only way to do this is to obtain an Organic certification from an accredited certification body. For this project we are being certified by the Control Union (CU) using European Union Organic standards.

INTRODUCTION
Organic products are those made without the use of synthetic chemicals or artificial fertilizers. In the case of honey ensuring it is organic can be a challenging thing to do as bees forage for nectar within a range of 3km from their hive meaning that for honey to be called organic there can be no artificial chemical use within the 28km2 area around the hive. This is one of the reasons that so few Ethiopian honey producers re organic certified.

For forest honey in South West Ethiopia this is not much of a concern as there is little to no use of these chemicals within the area and so most of the honey produced is organic by nature. To sell honey as organic however, you have to prove that this is the case. The only way to do this is to obtain an Organic certification from an accredited certification body. For this project we are being certified by the Control Union (CU) using European Union Organic standards.

What are the benefits to beekeepers
Beekeepers are able to earn more money once they are organic certified without having to change much at all.
In the case of this project the organic certificate is held by the cooperative. This means that it is the cooperative and the cooperative leadership that need to do the work and maintain the organic certificate. The beekeepers themselves are only responsible for ensuring that they are not using chemicals on their fields and encouraging their neighbours to avoid doing so as well.
As the cooperative will be able to leverage the organic certificate to obtain better prices and more buyers for the honey the cooperatives can also pay the beekeepers more for their honey.

The organic certification process
To obtain an organic certificate a strict process must be followed.
The first step is to identify a certifying body to certify your product. This project identified the Control Union as the most appropriate body to certify the Honey produced. Control Union is one of the only organic certification bodies with an office in Ethiopia and one of few bodies to have had experience certifying Ethiopian honey.
Once the Control Union had been contacted, they laid out their specific requirements and the timeline for the certification process.

The first step was to prepare the required documentation. The most important of these include an Internal control systems (ICS) manual which details the specific steps in the honey production, storage and transportation and what is done at each step to ensure that no contamination can occur. This manual is the main body of the organic process, and it is used throughout the process and during inspections to ensure the systems are followed correctly.

Next is the Organic systems plan (OSP) this is a list of all beekeepers who are certified. This list includes their names, their apiary locations, land ownership details, their risk of contamination and details their production history. This list is used during inspections to assess beekeepers of all levels to ensure compliance.

Another important document is the Organic management plan this document includes a detailed step by step description of every activity
a beekeeper undertakes in producing their honey and what they must do at each step to ensure their honey meets the organic requirements, for example when making a hive, what materials must be avoided and when harvesting, what equipment can be safely used.
Alongside these documents are details of internal inspectors, inspection reports and risk reports.

Once all of the documentation was submitted and assessed by the Control Union an on-site audit was conducted. Inspectors from the Control Union visited the production area, cooperative offices, storerooms and a selection of the beekeepers. This visit was to audit the honey production process and ensure that all stated internal controls were being adhered to and that the facilities and apiaries met the standard for organic honey. A sample of the honey was taken for pesticide analysis as well.

Upon completing the audit Control Union issued a report with any changes that needed to be made before certification. Once evidence of the changes is submitted and the analysis of the honey shows no contaminants, an organic certificate is issued.


ICS Manual
Internal Control System (ICS) is a locally managed quality assurance framework that allows a group of beekeepers to be certified collectively. Instead of each beekeeper undergoing costly external audits, the group manages internal inspections and documentation, which are periodically verified by a certification body. The ICS manual is a guiding document for internal quality management and to control the systems used by beekeepers to ensure their product meets specific certification standards.

Once the manual is produced it should be available to all members in the organic certification system and each member should use it as their main source of information on how to maintain the organic standards.
As such this document is comprehensive and details every part of the honey production system.
From hive construction and placement to colony management and honey harvesting and onwards through the handling, storage and processing until the honey is sold (see figure 1).
Traceability in organic certification
The traceability system created for this project complements the introduction of organic certification and vice versa. For honey to be certified as organic there needs to be clear evidence of the processes involved in the honey production. The traceability system provides this.

All organic beekeepers are registered on the traceability system and honey processes and traced from the beekeepers to the cooperatives and to the buyers with quality checks at each stage ensuring that no contaminants or honey from other sources can be allowed into the organic honey system.

With minimal adaptation the traceability system can include many of the organic certification requirements such as internal control officer reports and individual beekeeper inspections.

This makes both systems more robust. Furthermore, as the traceability system is digital, it can readily analyse the data linked to organic certification which can be shared with Control Union prior to future audits. This makes the process more efficient and reduces costs.

የርብራብ ቀፎ (Top-Bar Hive) በርካታ ጥቅሞች አሉት።

ዝቅተኛ ወጪና ቀላል አሰራር፡ ቀፎው የሚሰራው በአካባቢ በሚገኙ ቀላል የእንጨት ቁሳቁሶች በመሆኑ ውድ አይደለም። ውስብስብ የሆኑ ማዕቀፎችን (frames) ወይም የሰም ሰሌዳዎችን (foundations) አይጠይቅም።

ለማር ምርት ቀላልነት፡ ማርን ለመሰብሰብ ሙሉ ቀፎውን መክፈት ወይም ማራገብ አያስፈልግም። ንቦች ማር የሞሉበትን የላይኛው የእንጨት ሰሌዳ (Top-Bar) ብቻ በማንሳት ማርን በቀላሉ መቁረጥ ወይም መጭመቅ ይቻላል።

የንብ ደህንነት፡ ቀፎውን ሲከፍቱና ምርመራ ሲያደርጉ እናት ንቢቱን ወይም ሌሎች ንቦችን የመጉዳት እድሉ በጣም ዝቅተኛ ነው። ንቦች የሚረበሹት በትንሹ ነው።

ለአነስተኛ ቴክኖሎጂ ተስማሚ፡ ይህ ቀፎ የማር መጭመቂያ ማሽን (Honey Extractor) ሳይፈልጉ በእጅ ወይም በቀላል መጭመቂያ ማርን ለማግኘት ስለሚያስችል፣ ለገጠር አካባቢዎች በጣም ምቹ ነው።

ለጥገና አመቺነት፡ የቀፎው አወቃቀር ቀላል ስለሆነ ማናቸውንም የተበላሹ ክፍሎች በቀላሉ መጠገን ወይም መተካት ይቻላል።

እነዚህ ጥቅሞች የንብ እርባታን ለጀማሪዎችም ሆነ ለረጅም ጊዜ ሲሰሩ ለነበሩ አናቢዎች ይበልጥ ውጤታማ እና ተደራሽ ያደርጉታል። ተጨማሪ ዝርዝር ወይም ሌላ ማብራሪያ ይፈልጋሉ?

We are pleased to support Birhanu Fentahun, an MSc student at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia, whose research focuses on insect ecology, pest management, and pollinator conservation.

In 2025, with support from Bees for Development, Birhanu began his MSc research project in Fogera District, South Gondar Zone, investigating how different pest management practices affect the diversity and abundance of pollinating insects, with particular emphasis on solitary bees.

Around Lake Tana in the Amhara region, chemical pesticides are the only method being used to protect crops from the harmful pests. These pesticides effect a broad spectrum of insects, including bees, and can be harmful to the health of those who consume the crops. Undermining the livelihoods of the farmers as well as local beekeepers.

Bees for Development Ethiopia is working with farmers, entomologists and extension officers across 8 Kebeles to address this issue.

Through the creation of farmer field schools that teach and demonstrate the benefits of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), farmers learn to identify and protect pollinators, to manage pests without relying only on toxic chemicals. This enables smallholders to sustainably increase and diversify their income through beekeeping.

Biodiversity support, Capacity building
Around Lake Tana in the Amhara region, chemical pesticides are the only method being used to protect crops from the harmful pests. These pesticides effect a broad spectrum of insects, including bees, and can be harmful to the health of those who consume the crops. Undermining the livelihoods of the farmers as well as local beekeepers.

Bees for Development Ethiopia is working with farmers, entomologists and extension officers across 8 Kebeles to address this issue.

Through the creation of farmer field schools that teach and demonstrate the benefits of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), farmers learn to identify and protect pollinators, to manage pests without relying only on toxic chemicals. This enables smallholders to sustainably increase and diversify their income through beekeeping.
IBNAT

Beekeeper training, Supporting marginalised groups, Routes to market

The Ibnat district in Amhara has recorded high levels of youth unemployment in recent years. While this issue is not unique to Ibnat it is especially prevalent there. Ibnat is also an area of high beekeeping potential.

Bees for Development Ethiopia is working with 120 young men (60) and women (60) helping them create a sustainable income source through beekeeping. By teaching the selected youths how to keep bees in a low cost, sustainable way they are able to generate a consistent income with the potential to grow into a career.

Alongside the beekeeping training the new beekeepers are also being taught how to manage their finances and work together for financial stability through Village Savings and Loans Groups.
Pollinator Training Toolkit

Biodiversity support, Capacity building, Education

Pollination underpins food security, resilient agriculture and supports biodiversity. In Ethiopia habitat loss and agrochemical use pose great risks to this ecosystem service which is often taken for granted. Most Ethiopian farmers have no knowledge about pollination and have been taught that all insects, except honey bees, are pests. The government extension service does not provide training on pollination, citing lack of knowledge and tools.

This project is developing a Pollination Training Toolkit and making it available to every extension worker so that they have tools to teach farmers about pollination and the benefits insects can have on their crops. This toolkit is based around practical demonstrations where farmers will be able to see the benefits for themselves and be encouraged to reduce pesticide use and support pollinators in their crops.

Belay Gerito is a 42 year old man from the Duyina Kebele in Andracha, Southwest Ethiopia and is a member of the Shenobegati cooperative.

Belay has been a beekeeper most of his life, he is skilled in climbing high into the forest canopy to place beehives and collect honey.

In spite of this Belay has only ever been able to use beekeeping as a small fraction of his household income, most of which comes from growing coffee. Without a steady market available for his honey he didn’t see the benefit of growing his beekeeping beyond a few hives, even with the support of beekeeping projects in the region who donated top-bar beehives to help beekeepers expand.

With the Transform project helping cooperatives in Anderacha create stronger honey markets for the last two years Belay is now expanding his beekeeping for the first time in decades.

In the 2025 main harvest period he produced 450kg of honey and has built more than 100 beehives, many of which have been colonised. The income he received from his honey sales has for the first time become a major part of his finances and is allowing him to expand and grow