Overview

Beekeeping is an important economic activity with great potential to promote the livelihood of people. It’s an activity that creates employment for the majority of Tanzanians as well as collection of revenue. It is a sustainable form of agricultural practice that requires low capital investment and low labor intensity and is an environmentally friendly activity. 

In Tanzania, about 90% of beekeeping is practiced in protected areas with wild bee species both stinging and stingless. The stinging bee species called Apis mellifera are found in three races, which are Apis mellifera scutellata, Apis mellifera litorea, and Apis mellifera monticola, while stingless bees are in two genera: Melipona and Trigona. The main beekeeping products harvested in Tanzania are honey and beeswax. These products are mainly used for food, medicines, and sources of income.

The beekeeping sector in the country is estimated to generate about US $ 77.5 million each year from sales of honey and beeswax. The sector contributes about 1% to the country’s GDP. There are substantial non-monetary benefits including employment creation, nutrition, medicine, and sustenance of biodiversity. The sector employs about 2 million people in the country and contributes up to 33% of household income, especially for communities living close to forests and woodlands. Beekeeping helps in biodiversity conservation and in increasing agricultural production through pollination.

Beekeeping as a tool for environmental management

Beekeeping contributes to environmental management by ensuring the conservation of the forests and woodlands. The preserved tree cover and associated benefits contribute to the reduction of deforestation and forest degradation as well as climate change adaptation through the offering of alternative income in climate-vulnerable areas.

The habitat serves as:

1.           The main source of bee breeding materials

2.           Source of package colonies for both stinging and stingless honeybees

3.           Enhance the conservation of the biodiversity of honeybees

4.           For forage of bees