Beekeeping

Project Proposal February August 2012

Project Location El Ojochal del Listn, El ajo & El Caracol

Proposal Submitted March 2012

Summary
Nuevas Esperanzas beekeeping project has continued to grow in participation, production and potential since its beginning in February 2010. Going into its third year, the project is beginning to prepare for the independence of some of its beekeepers. The focus for the six month project cycle, from February to August 2012, will be helping the most advanced beekeepers to master the skills necessary to manage an apiary independently, and increasing the number of hives in each apiary to a level where they will have the production capacity to be financially selfsustaining.

Project Background
Project Rationale
Promotion of beekeeping is one element of Nuevas Esperanzas Mountain Rain programme, which aims to assist around 1,100 people who live in the dispersed rural communities of Agua Fra, El Ojochal del Listn, El ajo, El Caracol, Mata de Caa, El Cacao and Las Pilas in the Municipality of Telica, Department of Len, western Nicaragua. These are families of traditional campesinos. Whilst very poor (most live from subsistence agriculture and have an income of less than $2/day), these rural people live in relatively stable, tight-knit families and communities. They are resourceful and mostly free from dependency attitudes which are common in other rural communities in Nicaragua. The reason for this is the same reason that these families are so disadvantaged: they live high on the slopes of Nicaraguas volcanoes, away from access to basic services and out of sight and out of mind of NGOs and local government. Although extremely disadvantaged, these families are ironically very influential they manage and farm a very large area of land in the upper part of three important river catchments. Environmental degradation of these catchments over the last 50 years has resulted in mass deforestation through tree felling, slash and burn farming and widespread burning of hillsides due to hunting and honey harvesting. Honey hunters look for natural bee hives in trees and smoke out the bees in order to retrieve the honey. Because this method of retrieving honey is very rudimentary, the honeycomb is usually destroyed, forcing the bee colony to move elsewhere. Even more environmentally damaging, however, is a common practice in which large holes are cut in the trunks of trees and the insides are set on fire, effectively killing the tree. Uncontrolled fires set by honey hunters can burn extensive areas, sometimes for little more than a litre of honey. This in turn has caused extensive soil erosion, increasing vulnerability to natural disasters such as landslides which have devastated other communities in this hurricane-prone part of Nicaragua. Tree burning to harvest honey is observed even in the most richly forested parts of the Telica-Rota Protected Area. Like illegal logging and burning to hunt iguana or deer, honey hunting results from a lack of awareness and insufficient alternative livelihoods

Most farmers grow only the most traditional crops, corn and beans, primarily for subsistence, and very few are aware of alternative crops which are more profitable and which could better suit the environmental context in which they live. Many farmers lost the majority of their harvest in the heavy rains of October 2007, and again during Tropical Depression 12E in October 2011, forcing the worst affected to sell their livestock, the only savings which they had. What is needed is a much more integrated approach to serving these communities where they are, increasing access to water and sanitation, improving paths so that farmers have better access to markets and diversifying agricultural production to withstand vulnerability to environmental shocks and stresses in this tropical climate vulnerable to drought as well as hurricanes. Through rainwater harvesting, latrine construction, and road building projects, the Mountain Rain programme is addressing the fundamental issues of water access, sanitation, and access to markets. One of the ways that Nuevas Esperanzas is working to support sustainable livelihoods in the protected area is through the promotion of beekeeping. Beekeeping provides a sustainable alternative form of income generation to more damaging activities, encouraging conservation. Also, protected environments are extremely good for bees. Once this relationship has been established, conservation and productive beekeeping go hand in hand, and beekeepers often become committed conservationists, knowing that this is also good for business.

Progress to Date
In February 2012, Nuevas Esperanzas beekeeping project entered its third year. During the projects first year, the areas of focus included: supervised training in basic beekeeping techniques; management of apiary health and growth, and the provision of hives, protective gear, and other beekeeping equipment. At the end of the first year there were 17 well engaged project participants from four different communities, training in two apiaries. In December 2010 and January 2011, the new beekeepers participated in their first two honey harvests, and the Nuevas Esperanzas team received its first proof of the excellent potential for beekeeping in the TelicaRota Protected Area. In each harvest, honey was taken from two hives. The first harvest produced 12.9 kg (9 litres) of honey per hive, and the second harvest produced 10.8 kg (7.5 litres) per hive. The expected yield for stationary hives like these, in Nicaragua, would be just over 8 kg per hive per harvest, whereas in their first harvest these hives produced between 55% and 30% over their expected production capacity in their respective harvests. During the second year, a number of additional elements were added to the project. There was an increased emphasis on the connection between productive beekeeping and a healthy local environment, one free from pesticides that harm the bees and from frequent burning that kills the trees and bushes on which the bees rely to make honey. Although changing long-standing practices is a slow process, there are signs of changing 3

perceptions. The new beekeepers have participated in reforestation efforts, and a few participants have even pledged to try growing a portion of their beans, the traditional cash crop, using organic methods! Given how well entrenched the practices of burning and pesticide use are in these communities, these are signs of hope. Training sessions have also begun to address issues around the business side of beekeeping. The idea of forming a beekeeping cooperative has been introduced, and participants are starting to think about how to distribute new earnings among beekeepers. In the next month Nuevas Esperanzas will give the beekeepers their first official income from the project by buying a portion of the most recent honey harvest, which will then be sold in the UK. Training sessions in basic beekeeping techniques have continued. Currently, at the end of the second year, there are 21 active participants. Of the 17 active beekeepers participating in the project at the end of its first year, two have mastered beekeeping basics and are moving toward being able to manage their apiaries independently. Another ten of the first years beekeepers are not far behind; it is anticipated that they will have mastered the basics before the end of 2012. There were five beekeepers actively participating at the end of 2010 who have not advanced significantly. The majority of these were negatively affected by the eruption of Telica Volcano in May of 2011. The apiary originally in Agua Fra served as the training site for participants both from Agua Fra and from El Caracol. It was necessary to remove the apiary in Agua Fra, the community closest to the crater, due to the heavy accumulation of ash on the hives, and it was not possible to return the apiary to the protected area until the end of 2011, due to the difficulty of access during the wet season. Because of the long interruption, three of the participants from El Caracol have not made significant learning gains. A forth participant moved to a different community for unrelated reasons, and withdrew from the project. When the apiary from Agua Fra was returned, it was decided that El Caracol, the next community to the north of Agua Fra and lower on the slopes the Telica Volcano, would be a better location due to lower wind speeds and higher participation. Since the apiary was moved, the two beekeepers from Agua Fria have unfortunately not been able to continue with the project. It is a goal to eventually establish another apiary in Agua Fra, specifically for participants from that community. However, the project does not currently have the capacity to provide hives and training to an additional community, and so Agua Fras apiary would not be established until one of the current apiaries becomes independent from Nuevas Esperanzas support. Six new individuals, five from El Ojochal del Listn and one from El ajo, started actively participating in 2011. Four of these participants are still relative beginners, but two of them are also likely to master basic beekeeping before the end of 2012.

The number of honey harvests increased to six at the end of the second year, compared to two in the first year. The two harvests from February 2012 have not yet been weighed, but the average weight of honey taken from during the first four harvests was approximately 8.5 kg (5.9 litres) per hive a good yield for stationary hives. The overall average harvest was brought down from the high average of the first year largely due to fewer yellow flowers blooming in El Ojochal del Listn in 2011, and in part to some beginners mistakes made by the new beekeepers as they took more responsibility for the apiaries. However, the overall average was borne up by an exceptional first harvest in El Caracol 11.9 kg (8.25 litres) per hive. This particular harvest is 42% higher than one would normally expect for a stationary hive, and, like the initial harvests in El Ojochal del Listn, demonstrates that the Telica-Rota Protected Area offers excellent prospects for beekeeping as a sustainable, financially viable livelihood.

Yearly Spending
Expenditure Period Feb 2010 - Jan 2011 Feb 2011 - Jan 2012 Total Staff time 3,526 9,179 12,705 Vehicle Use 746 2,191 2,937 Direct Expenses 1,977 2,458 4,435 Indirect Expenses 937 2,075 3,012 Total 7,186 15,903 23,089

Results
Participation and Skill Levels by Community
Evaluation by Community
Year One End El Ojochal del Listn El ajo Agua Fra El Caracol Year Two End El Ojochal del Listn El ajo Agua Fra El Caracol

Skill Level
Beginner Intermediate 7 10 3 5 2 12 5 4 3 Completed Basic Training 0 Total 17 3 5 2 7 21 9 6 0 6

7 7 3 1 3

2 1 1

Current Apiaries & Honey Harvested

Apiary Community Established Aug 2010 Beekeepers Supported 4 Hives 7 Honey Harvested by end Jan 2012 94.8 kg*

Los Coyoles El Ojochal del Listn Las Cortinas San Jose El Caracol Total El Ojochal del Listn El ajo El Caracol

May 2011

25.9 kg*

Aug 2011 Dec 2011

6 6 21

15 5 33

0 kg 47.4 kg 168.1 kg

* Additional harvests not yet weighed

Project Proposal: February August 2012

Goal & Future Outcomes
The ultimate goal of the Nuevas Esperanzas beekeeping project is to encourage sustainable livelihoods in the Telica-Rota Protected Area by providing farmers with environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional slash-and-burn agriculture that will also provide an increased, diversified income. Assuming that the project continues throughout 2012, Nuevas Esperanzas anticipates that it will have two important outcomes by 2013. First, it will leave independently operating apiaries with an average of 15 hives, producing around 375 kg of honey per year and generating approximately C$13,600 (389) in profit each year. In an apiary supporting five beekeepers, each would receive C$2720 (78) per year. According to the last interview we did with community members on individual earnings, this would represent an approximate increase of 10% in income for the poorest families. Five beekeepers, working no more than one day a week, could potentially manage apiaries of at least 60 hives, and the hope is that the apiaries will continue to grow significantly once they become independent. However, once the beekeepers are fully trained and have 15 hives to begin generating income, sustainable expansion would have to happen through credit or investment by the beekeepers themselves. The second outcome Nuevas Esperanzas anticipates is change in soil use and agricultural practices in the protected area. At least among participating beekeepers, the expectation is that there will be increasing reforestation, decreased tree burning and decreased pesticide use as honey sales increase and farmers begin seeing the economic value of forests and an environment where bees can thrive. 6

Immediate Objectives
Increase the number of hives in all apiaries Increase the number of beekeepers demonstrating competence in all the basic beekeeping skills, ensuring the presence of at least one beekeeper with a command of all the basic skills in each apiary Continue increasing the skill level of intermediate and beginner beekeepers Continue increasing participation in existing training groups

Project Duration
February August 2012

Activities
Beekeeping Training
Over the next five months, small group instruction and hands-on training for beekeeping will be provided for four separate groups. Training topics over the next months will include, among others: the preparation, maintenance, and re-use of hives and equipment; hive division and artificial alimentation; and monitoring of flowering periods and harmonizing agricultural and beekeeping activities.

Division, Capture and Transport of Bee Colonies

The team will be helping the groups directly in the process of increasing the number of active colonies, depending on the skill of the participants in each group. The options for increasing the size of the apiaries include: dividing large colonies between two hives, capturing colonies from the wild, or purchasing the colonies and transporting them to the community. Now that healthy apiaries have been established, apiary expansion will be done primary through division and capture from the wild. With less experienced groups, the Nuevas Esperanzas beekeeper will take primary responsibility for the division, but during this project cycle responsibility will increasingly be passed to the more advanced participants.

Tree Inventory & Reforestation

In order to increase the overall capacity for honey production and begin regenerating dry tropical forest in the Telica-Rota Protected Area, we will continue implementing small reforestation projects as part our long-term economic and environmental strategy for the area. The goal we have set for the next six months is for each group to take responsibility for planting 500 trees.

Provision of Materials and Equipment

While the project participants continue to become more confident of their skills, and as honey production increases, we will continue to provide the needed materials and equipment. We will continue to do so until production has risen adequately and connections to local markets have been established, in order to avoid undue financial risk to the participants. 7

Expected Outcomes
Active hives in the Los Coyoles, Las Cortinas and San Jose apiaries: 15 Active hives in the El Caracol apiary: 10 Beekeepers with competence in all basic beekeeping skills: 6 Beekeepers with an intermediate skill level: 11 Beginner level beekeepers: 7 New participants: 3 Total active participants: 24

Budget
Staff Beekeeper Logistician Community Organizer Meals Materials Hives Protective Gear Transport Indirect at 15% Total Hours 612 204 230 Rate/Hour 3.28 3.51 4.01 Cost 2,007 716 922 149 3,794 1,019 270 1,289 840 888 6,811