Apicultural Development For Low Income Nations: An Examination Of Benefits, Costs, And Constraints

As low income countries throughout the world search for means to eradicate poverty and human suffering, great attention has focused on the impact that full development of a nation's natural resources can have, in the attainment of a high degree of economic independence. In recent years, a valuable type of developmental effort has come under scrutiny, following recognition of the fact that no matter how poor the people within an area, an abundant, self-perpetuating resource exists: the nectar and pollen of flowering plants. Unlike other natural reserves, such as oil or minerals, neither human nor machine can efficiently collect these substances for processing and/or subsequent use. Rather, due to the minute quantities of plant nectars and pollens at each flower site, man must depend significantly upon a group of insects belonging to the scientific genus Apis, and commonly termed "honeybees," to do the collecting and processing for him. Through effective management of honeybee colonies, the products of beehives and the positive pollination effects of bees' presence in agricultural areas can function as an important economic stimulus. This paper will elucidate the economic value of the development of beekeeping throughout the world, emphasizing the special meaning such progress has for low and middle income nations.