Beekeeping to Conserve Tanzania's Rainforest

Summary

This project will support a beekeeping project for 30 men and women in Kanga Village in Tanzania's South Ngurus Mountains. The aim of this project is to enhance the conservation of the local forest and improve the livelihoods of community members (through the sale of honey at local markets). The group currently has 20 beehives and has had two successful harvests, but the project requires more beehives, equipment, and training in order to reach its full potential.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

Tanzania's Eastern Arc rainforests are under intense pressure from logging, charcoal production, and clearance for agricultural land. When these forests are lost, we lose their unique biodiversity, as well as the ecological services that they provide, including water catchment, soil conservation, pollination, and non-timber forest products.

How will this project solve this problem?

This project will provide additional incentives for participatory forest management through the introduction of beekeeping in natural forests (people will be motivated to protect the forests when their livelihood is at stake) and increase household income through the sale of honey and beeswax in local markets.

Potential Long Term Impact

This project aims to increase the incomes of 30 households and improve forest management of nearly 7,000 hectares of high biodiversity forest. Enhancing current beekeeping efforts will indirectly benefit 2,917 people who live in Kanga village and who will profit from improved ecological services of the nearby forest.

Project Message

There is enough forest area to support a lot of hives - as many as one-thousand - but we are lacking initial capital to buy more beehives and other tools needed to produce the honey.
- Hashimu Madinga, Member of Kanga Environmental Conservation Group