Safeguard Bees and Beekeepers in Madagascar

Livelihood opportunities are extremely limited in the southeast Anosy region, but beekeeping has the potential to fill this gap as an alternative and sustainable livelihood option, providing vital income, complementing farming practices, and supporting biodiversity. Within Phase II of Project Renitantely, SEED continues to support independent beekeepers in six rural communities to improve beekeeping as a viable and sustainable livelihood.

This season, 2,500 litres of honey have been harvested, totalling over 17m MGA (£3,000). SEED has also distributed tools and materials for the construction of 48 etages (honey supers), which increase the yield of honey per hive. The honey supers are an additional hive box which is placed on top of a hive while the bees are already producing honey, providing additional space for the bees to store excess honey. By improving both production capacity and income generation, the project is helping communities build more resilient and sustainable livelihoods.

SEED is also helping to build beekeepers’ capacity through training, with each community having received four business training sessions. These included lessons on topics such as business basics, planning and managing investments, collective investment, and preparing business for shocks and climate change. Endline results show a strong interest in continued investment and business goal-setting, demonstrating growing confidence in beekeeping as a sustainable source of income.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we are helping Madagascar’s beekeepers build strength not just for today, but for the future.