Abstract

This work focuses on the evolution of beekeeping and sustainable development in Buea Municipality. Apiculture has a long historical tradition among the Bakwerians. However, scholars have not paid enough academic attention to this activity in spite of its significant economic importance to the economic wellbeing of these people.

Using oral interviews, archival sources, and publicized works, this work assesses the contribution of apiculture to the socio- economic development of some Buea communities. It argues that Beekeeping is a long established economic activity among the Bakweri of Buea and concludes that it has contributed directly and indirectly influenced the economy. Farmers have benefited from the pollination services that honey bees rendered in their farms. They have also benefited from bee and hive products such as honey, wax, propolis etc for economic and cultural activities.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Beekeeping is an age long practice done all over the world, when humans came to the awareness of the importance of honey to life, people started looking for means to harness the resources of apiculture. For this to be done the practice of beekeeping was necessary to give people the leverage to have honey, royal jelly and propolise at their convenience. Apiculture has improved tremendously all over the world from a rudimentary state to a more advance state. This rudimentary state was a period where people where using primitive technology to either hunt bees for honey or to rear them to harvest honey at their convenient.

Over the years the practice has witnessed drastic improvement with the use of more advance beekeeping technology. Many countries in Africa where beekeeping is their priority have seen an enormous improvement in the sector. For instance Ethiopia was one of the top 10 honey producing countries in the world and number one in Africa. Ethiopia has a longer beekeeping tradition. During the time of king Ezhana, around the 3rd century AD, beeswax was used for religious ceremonies, and honey for producing traditional beverages for nobility and the social elite.

Beekeeping is a worldwide activity found in nearly all countries in the world. Beekeeping and its associated products were known worldwide and have a wide consumer preference, in nearly all countries in the world. The practice of beekeeping also provides sustainable livelihoods to many small- scale farmers and other rural and urban beekeepers. This is because apiculture provides wide variety of resources, such as honey, bee venom royal jelly, bee brood, and the uses of bees as pollinators. Theseproducts are often sold by beekeepers in either small or large scale. Also, it generates an induced economy in the community (construction of hives. Bee suits, packaging materials and other equipment).

Many countries realized the importance of beekeeping and its usefulness, and as such efforts to encourage beekeeping intervention were found in small scalethroughout the world. The fundamental challenge to this activity in Buea in the south west region was, inadequate information of the importance of apiculture. However over the years, there has been serious improvement in this sector due to sensitization carried out by organizations, such as South West Development Cooperation, Minepia, GIZ (German cooperation).

Theseorganizations usually organize seminars and provide participants with expertise awareness on the rudiments of apiculture, and also provided important journals and books with firsthand information regarding the sector. Hives, suits smokers and other equipments were provided to beginners for startup.  Regarding the contribution of beekeeping to sustainablyimprovement of livelihood in the neighborhoods of Buea, there have been several challenges that honey producers have been facing over the years. These challenges include, climate condition, the use of pesticide, and also, predators are also a great nuisance for bees. However the government of Cameroon has been promoting and encouraging private investment to process and export bee product. This was as a result of the revenue that this sector generates in the economy of the country.

There were apiculturist in Buea who were practicing sustainable beekeeping over the years from the traditional methods of drums and Indian bamboos and recently, the use of Kenyan top bar hives. This activity was an additional source of income which has gone a long way to alleviate poverty in royal communities in the neighborhood of Buea. Beekeeping was often promoted in the context of royal development,because the practice provided monetary nutritional, and social benefits to poor families, without requiring land ownership or large amount of Capital investment.

Studies suggest that beekeeping not only contributed to uplifting the livelihoods of rural communities but protected the trees and ultimately contributed to protectingour planet earth. Beekeeping is ecologically friendly, requires few resources to start up production, can be quickly taken up again after a crises period and the necessary skills are easily transmitted from one generation to the other, making it a sustainable livelihood strategy. Beekeeping does not require expensive equipment, as simple Hives are made from local materials by locals artesian.

Statement of the Problem

Beekeeping as an enterprise fits in very well with small scale farmers livelihoods. It is not invasive, bees work along the natural patterns of local agro-ecological Zones and provide positive impacts to the fauna and flora found within. It was an enterprise that can provide income and economic security for the farm family and others in rural areas.

Bees provide for a plethora of products (Honey, wax, pollen, royal jelly,propolis, venoms, etc.) and are very well known in many local markets. This provides a portfolio of products that a small-scale farmer can sell from a single farm enterprise. These products can also be “transformed” into value added products, for example wax can be processed into candles, and honey can be made into mead (honey bear).

The importance of beekeeping in providing extra income is one option that was available for developing countries as a means to meet the local needs of their people, yet this area has not been exploited. Despitethe importance of honey and it’s by products from the beekeeping intervention. Much research has not been carried out on this economic activity in Cameroon in general and the south west region in particular.

Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this work is to assess

The contribution of beekeeping to sustainable livelihoods and the challenges of honey producers in the Buea municipality.

The specific objective are.

1. To assess the evolution of Beekeeping strategies in the Buea municipality
2. To identify the challenges of beekeepers in Buea.
3. To assess the impact of this economic activity on the farmers in Buea municipality

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