 |  |
Promoting sustainably harvested honey
Honey is one of the most important non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that people derive from forests in Mondulkiri, both culturally and economically. Often used for food and medicine, honey provides important cash income, while candles made from bees wax are important in spirit ceremonies and rituals.
Increased honey demand has led to growing competition among villagers. In search for more honey, hunters go deeper into the forest. Travelling in small groups, they stay away from their village for up to five days at a time, relying on hunting and the small amount of rice they carry with them for food. This increased penetration of the forest brings greater threats to the local wildlife, because any animal spotted is seen as a source of food for the honey hunters.
To minimize the threat to wildlife, the SWAP team, in conjunction with the CNRM unit, hopes to educate and transform these group members into sustainable honey hunters by providing different incentives. The project is now exploring ways to increase the value and price of their honey products and offer them alternative systems of production which do not require them to venture further to the forest.
Focused group discussions recently held with local honey hunters have revealed an understanding of the benefits of pooling their honey products together and improving quality, to be able to secure a better market price. With the SWAP and CNRM providing technical assistance, the honey hunters have agreed to organize themselves and undertake training on sustainable methods of honey harvesting and proper honey handling. This training has been convened in collaboration with Cambodia’s NTFP Working Group and the NTFP – Exchange Programme in Southeast Asia.
Honey is one of the most important non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that people derive from forests in Mondulkiri, both culturally and economically. Often used for food and medicine, honey provides important cash income, while candles made from bees wax are important in spirit ceremonies and rituals.
Increased honey demand has led to growing competition among villagers. In search for more honey, hunters go deeper into the forest. Travelling in small groups, they stay away from their village for up to five days at a time, relying on hunting and the small amount of rice they carry with them for food. This increased penetration of the forest brings greater threats to the local wildlife, because any animal spotted is seen as a source of food for the honey hunters.
To minimize the threat to wildlife, the SWAP team, in conjunction with the CNRM unit, hopes to educate and transform these group members into sustainable honey hunters by providing different incentives. The project is now exploring ways to increase the value and price of their honey products and offer them alternative systems of production which do not require them to venture further to the forest.
Focused group discussions recently held with local honey hunters have revealed an understanding of the benefits of pooling their honey products together and improving quality, to be able to secure a better market price. With the SWAP and CNRM providing technical assistance, the honey hunters have agreed to organize themselves and undertake training on sustainable methods of honey harvesting and proper honey handling. This training has been convened in collaboration with Cambodia’s NTFP Working Group and the NTFP – Exchange Programme in Southeast Asia.
 |  |
0 comments To "Bee and Honey"
Post a Comment