Beekeeping

I grew up with beekeeping. My dad is the best teacher of the wonders of bees and their products. He often has school classes coming to his apiary for an introduction. The story of the bee with five eyes is always a favourite.

Bees for Development (BfD)

BfD is an organisation who enables people to use bees as a food source and livelihood. Below are some examples to illustrate the extraordinary powers of beekeeping in developing countries and the need for NGOs' assistance:

* Disease: In the 80-90s, the Thai Sac Brood virus wiped out an estimated 89% of colonies in India. NGOs can provide training programmes on early detection, treatment, bio-security to prevent re-infection and queen-rearing to assist quicker re-population.

* Women in Afghanistan: Because bees can be kept within the boundaries of the home, the Taliban regards beekeeping as an acceptable activity for women. They need equipment and knowledge to get setup.

* Iraq: UN sanctions ment the beekeepers could not get hold of treatment against the varroa mite, leading to 15% loss of colonies. BfD raises awareness of such issues.

More examples to come ...