The Situation
Climate Change is happening. Floods. Droughts. Wildfires. We can see it happening, some of us can feel it happening.
We need Climate Resilience. Now.
"About 80% of the global population most at risk from crop failures and hunger from climate change are in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, where farming families are disproportionately poor and vulnerable."
- The World Bank
The Solution
Here are six reasons beekeeping is a perfect Climate Resilience tool:
1. Beekeeping is an effective tool for climate- resilient agriculture
Bees naturally increase crop yield, research has shown that they increase cashew yield by 200%. With yields falling due to climate change, natural ways to protect food harvests and income are much needed.
2. Beekeeping increases and diversifies income
Beekeeping offers a new source of income from hive products including honey and beeswax. We found households in Ghana could increase their income by 20%, enabling people to invest in their futures. Some of the climate- affected communities we will work with in Ghana plan on buying drought-resistant Maize (significantly more expensive) with honey money.
3.Tree planting for bees, people and the environment
Where necessary and appropriate, we will provide trees and training on how to care for and propagate them. This benefits the environment, bees and people by providing:
- Forage for bees to increase quality honey production
- Shade for beehives, people and animals to mitigate increasing temperatures.
- Fruit to eat or sell further boosting food security and income
- Tree essential oils to use in products to build more resilient livelihoods
- And, of course, carbon sequestration
4. Beekeeping supports plant biodiversity
Honey bees are native to sub-Saharan Africa, they are part of the natural ecosystems and are important pollinators for African flora.
5. Beekeeping encourages Environmental Stewardship
We provide information on the impact of practices such as slash and burn, honey hunting and inappropriate use of pesticides on beekeeping and the local environment. Many community members become proactive advocates for bee-friendly practices that benefit the local environment.
6. Beekeeping supports Climate Refugees
We’re working with groups to help build social cohesion through beekeeping within communities hosting climate refugees.
Campaign Aims
We are raising funds in our Collaborate for Climate campaign to support climate resilience projects in Ghana.
The Kumbungu Cluster
The Kumbungu Cluster is made up of eight communities in the Kumbungu District, an area experiencing high food insecurity. Working with these communities we aim to:
• Improve Climate Resilience by providing training and equipment for beekeeping, a climate friendly livelihood.
• Improve food security and resilience to climate by naturally increasing crop yields through bee pollination.
• Support the local and global climate as well as bees, wildlife and people through planting trees, including fruit trees.
The Dome beekeepers
The Dome beekeepers are a community of farmers in central Ghana made up of local Ashanti people (mainly Christians) and climate refugees from Northern Ghana, Burkino Faso and Mali (mainly Muslims). Working with the Dome beekeepers we aim to:
• Help build social cohesion though beekeeping within communities hosting climate refugees.
• Improve food security and livelihood resilience to climate by naturally increasing crop yields through bee pollination.
See our campaign page on our website: www.beesabroad.org/forclimate