Page 28 - Vol.38-No.6

BEES & BEEKEEPING

THE MOROCCAN BEEKEEPERS’ MISSION TO

PRESERVE THE SAHARAN YELLOW BEE

Here, in Er-rich, nestled on a plain amid Saharan yellow bee populations and training
Morocco’s awe-inspiring Atlas Mountains, beekeepers in setting up and managing
women and men settle into a packed room cooperatives and micro-enterprises.
as an FAO beekeeping training gets under- The risk of collapse
way one March afternoon. Their whispers
and laughter blend together in an under- Recently, bee populations have suffered
current of anticipation. But their purpose is spectacular losses, never seen before. A
serious: to do whatever they can to ensure phenomenon known as “Bee Colony Col-
the very survival of a species. Through- their state of health. As you approach the lapse Disorder” has been observed in coun-
out the day, the beekeepers of all ages dozen hives there, the buzz of the bees an- tries in Europe, the Americas and Africa.
will learn about the Saharan yellow bee, a nounces their presence. For M’hamed, the Beekeepers have reported the sudden and
species that is hardy, non-aggressive and experience conjures up humbling feelings. unexplained disappearance of bee colonies,
well-adapted to local climatic and breeding “For them and thanks to them, I have followed by the death of the workers, the
conditions. survival of the queen alone and conse-
the chance to highlight and perpetuate quently the loss of the hives.
“Don’t be afraid,” the instructor, M’hamed the know-how of my ancestors and do
Aboulal, reassures them. “This is the gen- a job that I love and that makes me want The phenomenon is causing growing
tlest breed. That’s what makes its neigh- to get up at dawn every morning to get concern among both breeders and spe-
bour to the north, the black bee, ‘yellow’ things done.” cialists such as M’hamed who says, “If this
with jealousy,” he says with a smile. “It’s continues, the consequences of this un-
not only beautiful in its long yellow dress, A nationally renowned expected disappearance would be heavy
it’s also docile, produces great honey and is Centre given the importance of apiaries and bees
a better forager, since it can travel up to 8 M’hamed is a regular visitor to the Centre in the ecological and agricultural balance
kilometres compared to only 3 kilometres where theoretical and practical trainings and economic development, as well as the
for the ordinary bee.” are held and which is the result of a fruit- importance of the sector in terms of jobs.”
Despite all these qualities, beekeep- ful multi-stakeholder collaboration. This is Several factors are being blamed, such
ers know that the Saharan yellow bee is where FAO works hand in hand with the as insufficient rainfall, poor bee nutrition
threatened with extinction due to succes- government of Morocco and other part- resulting from lack of pasture, the health
sive droughts, the negative side effects ners to safeguard this particularly inter- of hives and bee husbandry practices, with
of necessary pest control and the impact esting breed adapted to oasis areas. The governments redoubling their efforts at
of other breeds of bee being introduced combined efforts have led to the creation of research to pinpoint the causes. According
to the area. this beekeeping technical Centre for Devel- to M’Hamed, the Saharan yellow bee seems
The participants are impatient to ask oping and Safeguarding the Saharan Yellow relatively less impacted by this phenome-
him their questions: “How do you produce Bee and Biodiversity, whose mission is to non of colony collapse. But given the many
other threats it faces, FAO and its partners
more queens?”, “What are the techniques improve beekeeping skills and to select, are clear that there must be no let-up in
for artificial insemination?”, “How can you multiply and disseminate queen bees. their efforts to preserve and revitalise the
help the queens to multiply?” Above all, the The Regional Office for Agricultural De- species.
trainees want to know how to save the velopment of Tafilalet hosts this Centre
lives of the bees, which for some of them and makes it available to the Chifae Bee- Through the efforts at the Centre, FAO
represent their very livelihoods. keeping Cooperative in Errachidia of which and its partners continue to fight for the
Beekeeping: a passion from M’hamed is the founder. The Centre hosted Saharan yellow bee. By establishing a net-
work of professional beekeepers and set-
there is part of FAO’s project, “Revitalizing
childhood oasis agroecosystems through a sustainable ting up a number of nursery units for the
M’hamed dates his passion for bees back integrated and landscape approach in the multiplication and distribution of the Saha-
to the time when his beekeeper father let Draâ-Tafilalet region.” ran yellow bee, the programme is working
him and his siblings taste the honey barely Safeguarding, preserving and develop- to preserve this species and encouraging
out of the wooden hives on which they sat. ing the Saharan yellow bee is key to these other cooperatives and micro-enterprises
Today, M’hamed is the president of both objectives. They are crucial for enhancing to do the same, sharing this mission with
a regional beekeeping cooperative and a and protecting local agro-biodiversity, im- the community and beyond.
national association and spends his time proving the incomes of smallholders and
giving theoretical and practical training to providing employment for women and
beekeepers, also increasing the apprecia- youth.
tion of the Saharan yellow bee. Among the functions of the Centre
Every morning, M’hamed starts his day are selecting the bees, producing queens
by going to the heights of Er-rich to inspect through artificial insemination, promoting
the apiary and its bee colonies and assess and distributing them to help reconstitute

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