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“Native bees have always been part of our lives. Thanks to the training and materials provided, I have learned so much. Now I can manage them better, strengthen the colonies, and improve production. We must conserve these little bees. That is my motivation to continue in the project”. – Lesli Francisco, Ñagazu Native Community.
Like Lesli, a group of Indigenous and rural women in the Oxapampa–Asháninka–Yánesha Biosphere Reserve (BIOAY), located in the Pasco region, are leading a quiet yet transformative movement: protecting native stingless bees and, through them, safeguarding biodiversity and local livelihoods.
Through the Women for Bees project, led by UNESCO and Guerlain, these women are strengthening their skills in the management and sustainable use of native bees, a practice that has become increasingly important in the face of global pollinator decline.
Women Protecting Life
Native bees and other pollinators play a fundamental role in ecosystems and food security. However, their rapid decline—caused by factors such as intensive pesticide use, habitat loss, and climate change—poses a direct threat to biodiversity and human well-being.
Meliponiculture offers a practical, community-based solution. Through the sustainable management of native bees, communities not only enhance the pollination of key crops such as coffee but also actively contribute to ecosystem conservation and the development of sustainable economies through the production of honey with high nutritional and medicinal value. These practices are integrated into an educational and productive approach that combines traditional knowledge with technical expertise, promoting learning connected to local territories and the future of communities.
Beyond its environmental impact, meliponiculture also provides an opportunity to strengthen women’s economic autonomy and revitalize traditional knowledge associated with honey production and use.
“I started with one or two bee boxes and now I have seven colonies. The training taught me how to improve bee management. Now I know that I can not only produce honey, but also create new opportunities for our families and communities.” — Eva Gómez, Tsachopen Native Community
Building Capacities, Transforming Territories
Since its implementation in Peru in 2025, Women for Bees has worked directly with Indigenous and rural women.
“Before the project, I was already keeping some native bees, but only through trial and error. When my mother told me about the training sessions, I saw an opportunity to strengthen the knowledge I already had” — Margarita Rivas, Villa Rica.
Through Farmer Field Schools (FFS), technical assistance, and peer-learning exchanges, the Women for Bees project promotes hands-on learning and capacity-building in sustainable meliponiculture. At the same time, it supports awareness-raising initiatives such as demonstration trails, which help communicate the importance of pollinators and foster environmental awareness within local communities.
The project also supports participants in accessing markets through market studies and business plan development, creating new economic opportunities.
Results That Create Opportunities
The project’s impact in the BIOAY Biosphere Reserve is tangible. More than 60 women have strengthened their technical skills in sustainable meliponiculture, many of whom belong to Indigenous organizations, contributing to the preservation and transmission of local knowledge.
Strengthening leadership is also a key component. Participating women have had the opportunity to exchange experiences with peers from other regions of the country, identifying good practices that can be replicated within their own communities.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/women-elevating-role-bees-conserving-amazonian-biodiversity?hub=701
