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Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans in order to collect honey and beeswax, for the purpose of pollinating crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers. It is very useful and important for forest resource management. This is because where beekeepers have put their hives they protect and avoid bush fires, and discourage people from cutting timber, poles and other forest resources. After some time these areas become green because the vegetation is allowed to grow. In such areas you find also fresh air due to forest vegetation cover. Not many people pass near apiaries for fear of being stung by bees, consequently giving more room for grass and other plants. Therefore where there is an apiary, forest resources are conserved.

The Directorate of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry recognizes the fact that the existence of high beekeeping potential in Namibia is a function of the presence of virgin forests, a low human population density that provides an environment conducive for the establishment of beekeeping activities, bee fodder plants, and knowledge of beekeeping. The Forest Act no 12 of 2001 as amended by the Forest Amendment Act no 13 of 2005 (Part V, section 25 (1) - (3)) provides for the protection of honey producing organisms.

Improved marketing of bee products will ensure increased income and food security at household and national levels thereby achieving the national and United Nations development millennium goals of poverty reduction and natural resource management. Furthermore, the importance of beekeeping as an income-generating activity is due to the fact that many people use honey as food, medicine and for sale. Beekeeping offers a great potential for development and is comparatively less demanding in terms of investment, labour and time. Also, beekeeping is advocated to improve human welfare by alleviating poverty through increased household income: it is a source of food and nutritional security, raw materials for various industries, medicine, increased government revenue through levies and taxes, improved biodiversity conservation and enhancing environmental resilience.

In this regard, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry through the Directorate of Forestry is implementing a Beekeeping project, which is funded by the European Commission. The main objective of the project is to contribute to rural poverty reduction and sustainable forest management. The main activities of the project are; to sensitize rural communities on beekeeping, train them on beekeeping, to distribute beekeeping equipment and materials to selected beneficiaries and to facilitate the marketing of honey and by-products for the beneficiaries.

More information on the Beekeeping Development Project and beekeeping in general can be obtained from the Directorate of Forestry offices countrywide.

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