Beekeeping Practices In The Harenna Forest
Records of apiculture in Ethiopia have been found engraved in the walls of ancient Egyptian temples and the country is said to have the longest beekeeping history of any other. Apiculture has similarly been practiced in the area that now constitutes the BMNP for at least eight generations. It is still widely practiced using traditional methods particular to this region, passed down from generation to generation. Beekeeping is increasingly being recognised, throughout Africa, as a tool for the conservation of fast diminishing forests as it relies on the maintenance of ecological biodiversity. Research was undertaken to collect qualitative and quantitative information on traditional beekeeping practices in the Harenna forest of the BMNP, including socio-economic values of beekeeping, tree selection, zonation schemes for hives, harvesting practices, and honey preparation. Findings suggest that Hagenia abyssinica (Rosaceae family) was considered to be the most preferable wood from which to make hives, as it is durable and the scent is attractive to bees. However, bamboo hives lined with cow dung and sometimes blood, for waterproofing, were considered to be preferable to Hagenia wood as they are attractive to bees and lightweight. Hives in the forest are divided into zones according the long tradition of land tenure in Ethiopia. Although hives are owned individually within ‘zones’, honey gathering in the peak season is carried out as community activity. Trees in which hives are hung are chosen for their architecture while trees for making hives are chosen for an amalgamation of reasons including scent and durability and are sourced from a wider area than an individual’s ‘zone’. Beekeeping is wide spread throughout the forest, each house owning an average of 40 hives, thus the implications for forest conservation cannot be ignored as all materials are sourced locally. Income from honey is estimated to amount to over half that needed for food per household. The main period for harvesting honey is at the end of the dry seasons – late May to early July and in late November although some beekeepers will collect honey from the remaining hives during the early stages of the dry season.
This research was undertaken by Brigid Lefevre (University of Aberdeen) and Addisu Assefa (BMNP) under the auspices of the Darwin Initiative funded Harenna project.