Our stingless bee farming project in Tanzania aims to support sustainable permaculture practices here at Jabungu Foundation. Stingless bees function like honey bees: they pollinate flowers and make honey. However, stingless beekeeping, or the so-called meliponiculture, is safer and requires less effort and equipment. Although their honey is more sour, it contains many antioxidants and is widely used as medicine around the world. Hence, these advantages have motivated us to practice meliponiculture, which helps us finance our Goldenhill Vocational School project in rural Tanzania. Additionally, it helps us maintain our fruits and vegetables in our sustainable permaculture garden.
What are stingless bees, and what makes them different from honey bees?
Stingless bees, also called meliponines, are closely related to honey bees. Still, they differ in many ways.
- The most obvious distinction between the two species is their defensive behaviour. As the name suggests, the meliponines don´t sting and therefore use different defense mechanisms. In particular, to protect their colony: They bite the aggressor, attack in large numbers, and use sticky substances like resin (propolis) to immobilize the aggressor.
- They belong to other bee groups: honey bees are part of the Apini tribe, while stingless bees belong to the Apidae family (Meliponini tribe)
- Stinging bees build highly functional hexagonal wax structures, allowing them to store honey more efficiently and in large quantities. In contrast, stingless bees store their honey in small pots made of wax and resin.
- Contrary to the rich, sweet, and thick honey, meliponines produce a sour-tasting, liquid honey used in local medicine practices.
Why are bees so important for Stingless Bee Farming in Tanzania?
Nonetheless, for our bee project at Jabungu Foundation, both species play an essential role:
- First of all, it’s important to know that bees are vital for keeping an ecosystem alive. For instance, studies show that 75% of global crops rely on pollination. This process is especially important for our permaculture system in Sarame, where we rely on bees to keep our farm productive and sustainable. Furthermore, this provides food to our future students, who will attend our sustainable vocational school in Sarame, Magugu.
- Finally, our stingless beekeeping project offers business opportunities. While the bees contribute to the health of our crops, we benefit from their honey. Consequently, when enough time has passed, we collect the honey and can either consume it ourselves or sell it. This generates beekeeping income, helping us financially support the construction of a fully functioning vocational school in Manyara-Tanzania.
Stingless bees vs. stinging bees
Both stinging and stingless bees present benefits and opportunities for small local farmers or large-scale farming concerns:
- The first is the advantage of stingless bees: they are easy to manage, safe to handle, and ideal for small-scale farming. Because they do not sting, they are also perfect for educational purposes, allowing students to learn beekeeping in a safe environment. In addition, their honey, although produced in smaller amounts, is valued for its medicinal properties.
- The second is the strength of stinging bees: they produce larger amounts of honey and are more efficient in larger farming systems. This makes them especially useful for higher production and income generation. However, they require more experience, protective equipment, and careful handling.
Both species have advantages and benefits. Therefore, we combined their advantages in our beekeeping project in Tanzania. As a result, we made sure to have both species helping us pollinate plants, collect honey, and make medicine. As for now, we possess 4 stingless bee hives and 10 stinging bee hives. However, we would like to expand our population by up to 50 stingless colonies and 40 stinging bees hives.
Medicinal value of stingless bee farming in Tanzania
As mentioned before, stingless bee honey has been used as a local medicine for centuries. Various studies have shown that it contains antibacterial and antioxidant properties. This makes it especially valuable in regions where access to basic healthcare is limited. Traditionally, it has been used to treat eye and skin conditions, but it is also known to help with respiratory illnesses, for instance severe coughing. In recent years, scientific research has increasingly confirmed these benefits, particularly by reinforcing the immune system and increasing blood flow. These properties are partly caused by a fermentation process inside the beehive.
Conclusion
In conclusion, our stingless bee farming project in Tanzania by Jabungu Foundation plays an important role in supporting sustainable permaculture and improving local livelihoods. By combining stingless and stinging bees, we create a balanced system that strengthens biodiversity, improves crop production, and provides an additional source of income. At the same time, the medicinal value of stingless bee honey can benefit the community and students. Through this approach, our project not only supports the environment but also contributes to building a healthier and more sustainable future for the children and families in Sarame.