IGAD BMP Technical Brief No 1 June 2016

The IGAD Biodiversity Management Programme

Honey Value Chain Development

www.worldagroforestry.org

Summary
• The Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s Biodiversity Management Programme (IGAD-
BMP) is an initiative hosted and managed by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Among other
work packages, IGAD-BMP also focuses on value chains that are pro-poor and contribute to
biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.
• A value chain refers to the entire system of production, processing and marketing of a particular
product, from inception to the finished product.
• Honey value chain (HVC) actors include beekeepers, local traders, home brewers and herbalists,
consumers, producers, retailers, wholesalers and exporters.
• In honey value chain development, identification of existing gaps in the value chain and narrowing
them down can have a profound impact in terms of increasing income for rural communities and
conserving biodiversity.
• Resident communities should be involved as partners or stakeholders to enable them safeguard the
environment and ensure that it remains conducive for honey production. They could also provide
security for apiary that includes hives and occupier bees from predators.
• An apiary should be located in an area with a variety of flora, which should last all year around.
• In order to build the community’ capacity in honey production, chain supporters shall be required.
They include: artisan hive makers, money-lenders and microfinance institutions.
• Technicians should be deployed for professional beehive management as well as quality control,
processing and packaging.
Background

Introduction System description

A value chain is the whole series of activities that create The honey value chain system is composed of
and build value at every step with the support of internal the following stages: inputs, production, logistics
and external stakeholders in the value-creation process. for processing, processing, sales/distribution and
It encompasses economic, ethical and moral concerns, consumption. These stages are managed by HVC actors
as well as other non-monetary utility values such as and supporters. The inputs are basically hives and wax
provision of ecosystem services and added customer to attract bees. The siting of an apiary, where the hives
value. Value chain activities include: design, production, are located, depends on the rearing system and the
marketing, distribution and support to the final consumer. surrounding flora. During production, an apiary situated in
natural forest will utilize multiflora nectar thus producing
The honey value chain is therefore the linkage of actors
multifloral honey. Apiaries sited in orchards will utilize
and stages through which honey passes via homesteads
a particular flora and the end product shall be honey
and markets towards consumption. Identification of areas
characterized by that particular crop, for example, citrus
of focus along the links in the value chain is critical for any
honey, mango honey, palm honey, etc. Some beekeepers
value chain development. The process reduces critical
use mobile apiaries. They keepw moving from one
uncertainties along the value chain, thus ensuring a
location to another using trucks.
substantial increase in income for the value chain actors.
This increase in income can be a vital incentive for rural
communities to conserve biodiversity.

Inputs for honey

• Bees and extraction of honey. Honey can be extracted by
Bees include queens, drones and worker bees. A means of a centrifugal extractor and empty combs
colony of bees has only one queen. She is mated only returned to the hive where they will be reused and
once in the air by the drones. Sperms are stored in refilled. This maximizes the honey harvest.
the spermathaeca and used for hatching about 1500
• Equipment
to 2000 eggs daily. She also releases a pheromone
These include protective clothing (head gear with veil,
that maintains colony cohesiveness. The drones are
coverall, gloves and gumboots. The coverall should
about 300 per colony. They fertilize the queen and
be of light colour as bees detest light colour), smoker,
control hive temperature. Once the queen is fertilized,
hive tool and bee brush.
worker bees kill the drones. Worker bees feed the
queen, protect hives, collect nectar and water, build • Production/bee forage
combs, seal cracks in the hive and clean the hive. Honey production is done in an apiary system where
• Bee hives hives, water, nectar, serene environment (no noise),
There are three types of hives: the Log hive, Top less sun, less wind and disturbance from humans
Bar hive and Langstroth hive. The Log hive is locally and animals are key. During production, bees search
available and beeswax and propolis production is for nectar from various plants. Examples include
relatively high. They are also easily occupied by Callistemon citrinus (bottle brush), Eucalyptus
bees. However, combs are easily destroyed, there stricklandi Acacia xanthofloea, Helianthus annus
is loss of brood during harvesting and honey quality (Sunflower), Croton megalocarpus and Erythrina
is low due to mixes with pollen and brood. Top Bar abyssinica. They also gather pollen which is fed to
hives are easy to lift and good for honey harvesting their broods (young bees).
as each comb can be harvested independently Common pests that afflict bees include wax moth, bee
with high honey quality. However, its combs are cut louse, honey badgers and man. These can be dealt with
during harvesting thus bees have to make new ones by burning infected combs, smoking hives, hanging hives
all over again. In Langstroth hives, the wax comb and law enforcement, respectively. On the other hand,
is fixed within a frame facilitating and maximizing bees suffer from the following diseases: (a) Nosema:
harvesting and the added strength means less chance which is caused by a protozoan and affects the abdomen.
of damage to combs during removal from the hive
It is treated by ensuring that the apiary is well lit and tremble, tend to crawl about the entrance of the hive.
drained, re-queening and routine feeding of Fumidil-B, Their abdomens appear enlarged with wings dislocated;
(b) Acarines are internal mites that affect young bees they also become hairless, dark to shiny black in colour.
and are controlled by fumigating the hives, (c) Varroa Dysentery can also be a sign of this disease. There is
are external mites which affect the abdomen of workers no known cure but good management will help. Regular
and drones. They are exterminated with acaricides queen replacement with strains of bees not exhibiting
such as phenothiazine and paraformaldehyde mixed disease, plus maintaining a good plane of nutrition will
with naphthalene at about 100-150g per colony. (d) minimize infections. In case of dysentery, provide good
Paralysis virus is common in adult bees. Affected bees feed – avoid granulated or diluted honey.

Honey value chain actors Honey value chain supporters

HVC actors comprise the following: beekeepers, honey Honey value chain supporters, on the other hand,
processors, home brewers and herbalists, local traders, are composed of artisan hive makers, tailors of
consumers, retailers, wholesalers and exporters. beekeeping outfits as well as moneylenders for various
or all components in the HVC. Moneylenders include
microfinance institutions, banks, non-governmental
organization and governments that distribute grants.

Key success action points

herbs, etc. have pollen/nectar suitable for honey
Participatory planning for HVC production
production?).
Participatory planning for HVC production involves the
• List the infrastructure for the apiary (Menu of options
following activities: stakeholder analysis; consultative
for hives, the honey harvesting apparel, watering
meeting with stakeholders; mapping of catchment for
points/stations).
honey production; cost, benefit and risk analysis of
investment options in HVC; determining which type of • Bee coverall, bee veil, hive tools, gum boots, caps.
hives and watering stations to use and assessing the
• Get technical reference or support in the layout of the
capacity of honey production. Honey producers should
hives and initiation of bee colonization.
be organized in clusters so that adequate quantities of
honey are aggregated for commercial purposes. • Economic value of HVC production system has to be
justified.
Appropriate set up of an apiary system
• Carry out a complete financial assessment
• Assess the catchment area taking into consideration
the forage resources (Which type of trees, shrubs,
• Get fully trained artisans to install the infrastructure • If not properly installed, the bees can exit from their
for the bees. colonies.
• Investment in HVC as an economic incentive to
Operation and maintenance
conserve biodiversity requires thorough analysis of
• Provide instruments or mechanisms that would boost investment options to maximize returns to different
colonization of the hives as well as higher rate of stakeholders in the project. This can be achieved
honey accumulation (sheds, protection from honey through probabilistic projection of biodiversity-based
pests, easy access to nectar and water, etc.). intervention outcomes for different stakeholders.
• Build the capacity of HVC actors/practitioners. • Lack of proper consideration and planning for
• Provide fences (live hedges, fruit trees or barbed resources that bees need in honey production may
wires) to protect bees from predators and pests. lead to a decline in productivity.

• Avail honey harvesting equipment/apparel

Conclusion
• There should be a complete set of harvesting
equipment and apparel. Honey value chain development if properly implemented
could substantially increase the income of rural
Challenges communities. However, this does not necessarily mean
that these communities will conserve biodiversity.
• Market information and analysis is key to a successful Therefore biodiversity project planners need to invest
and sustainable production of honey. Currently, the more in educational programmes, that is, whether high
demand cannot be matched by supply. honey production directly results from biodiversity
However, producers should know exactly where their conservation or sustainable income from beekeeping
markets are and perhaps even produce on contact keeps farmers from destroying biodiversity.

References
Mbeiyererwa AG. 2014. Honey Value Chain Mapping in Njombe & Siha District, United Nations Development Programme, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
Jagiso B. 2015. Honey Value Chain Analysis of Bee Honey and Credit Market Participation of Bee keepers: The case of Damot Gale District, Southern
Ethiopia.
USAID, Ethiopia. 2012. Cost Benefit Analysis of the Grad Honey Value Chain Final Report: Optimal Solutions Group, Cambridge Resources International
Inc. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Correct citation
Oduor AR, Mwaringa BN, Karisa EM, Muriithi W, Wafula J. 2015. Honey Value Chain Development, IGAD BMP Technical Brief No 1,
ICRAF: Nairobi, Kenya.

By Alex Oduor1, Beth Mwaringa2, Emmanuel Mae Karisa2, Wilfred Muriithi1 and Joshua Wafula1
1 World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
2 Agriculture Sector Development Support Programme (ASDSP)

Supported by the European Union through The Intergovernmental Authority on Development

World Agroforestry Centre, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri,

P. O. Box 30677-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. We would like to thank all donors who supported this
Phone + (254) 20 722 4000, Fax + (254) 20 722 4001, research through their contributions to the CGIAR Fund.
Email: worldagroforestry@cgiar.org Contributions to the CGIAR fund:
Website: www.worldagroforestry.org http://www.cgiar.org/who-we-are/cgiar-fund/fund-donors-2/