The Situation
Ethiopia is a country of geographical contrasts and ecological riches. Reliance on natural resources is high: 85% of all jobs are in agriculture. However, deforestation and ecological degradation which has accelerated in the last five decades is challenging the country’s economic development. At the beginning of the 20th century, forests still covered 40% of the country – by the year 2000, this had been reduced to just 2.3%. Without healthy forests, rain is less likely to soak into the soil and replenish ground water – posing a big challenge for the rainfall-dependent Ethiopian agriculture and further exacerbating the problems caused by droughts. Population
growth resulting in widespread unemployment and lack of participation of communities in forest protection are among the main drivers of deforestation in Ethiopia. Faced with the hardships related to agriculture, a shortage of available land and a lack of off-farm jobs, more and more rural youth decide to migrate to cities in search of better livelihoods.
The Solution
No bees, no trees – no honey, no money” – This is the slogan with which Apis Agribusiness set out to fight the interlinked challenges of deforestation, youth unemployment and migration. By training unemployed and landless rural youth in wild honey production,Apis Agribusiness not only creates income opportunities linked to the growing market in sustainable honey – the initiative also sets strong incentives for protecting the forests where wild bees live. Beekeeping does not require fertile land, a large area or big initial capital. This makes the sector one of the few that has the potential to achieve transformation and growth across all categories of rural households. However, despite its great potential, the honey sector still faces a range of problems, such
as a lack of beekeeping skills, outdated technologies and limited access to markets.
To remove these barriers, Apis Agribusiness supports rural youth in identifying apiary sites close to forests, establishing learning and collection centers within villages and developing a coaching and organic production system. The village collection centers provide seasonal information and help the youth to ship their products without additional transportation costs. The youth are also able to get premium prices by selling organic
honey. To sustain the bees’ habitat, the young beekeepers plant trees and commit to conserving the remaining natural forest.
Youth assembling beekeeping equipment during training.
Click here to read more about the solution Apis Agribusiness is promoting in Ethiopia.
2 Comments
Philip Kabiru
This is great! We have to adapt this no matter what. Currently here in Kenya we are facing challenge with lack of pollinators thus no food thus starvation. Look forward to learn more from this initiative as this is something we intend to replicate here in Nyeri
Fredrick Tabu Wabweyo
Ethiopia has the best case studies as far as faming is concern, l like you campaign slogan No bees No trees No honey No money and how it has impacted on the lives of unemployed rural youth of your country in Kenya our youth are really a troubled lot due to unemployent remedering them idle lazy and a reciepe for politicians who use them during campaigm, this case study can be replicated in Kenya