Importance of Bees and Beekeeping
- Bee keeping sector has not been fully harnessed in Kenya despite its ecosystem importance to humans and environment, some of articulated importance of bee keeping includes:
- Immense benefits in terms of provision of pollinators, which enhance crop yield. It is estimated that one in every three bites of food we eat is a result of active pollination of plants in which bees play a very important part.
- Honey is a food easily digestible and also a source of natural medicine thus addressing food and nutrition security O The beekeeping industry contributes to the wider rural economy and plays an important part in the economy of arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya, where about 25% of our population live.
- Beekeeping is sustainable and environmentally friendly. It is therefore feasible and a suitable activity where people need to restore their livelihoods or create new opportunities
- Beekeeping is a family level exercise which has some distinct advantages over other agricultural activities. For instance, beekeeping requires very little financial or labour input.
- It is a flexible and gender friendly enterprise which does not compete for resources with other agricultural activities.
- Prosperity through public support for women, youth and other disadvantaged sectors
- Increased demand for bee products creating a wider market access to producers O Enhancing conservation and sustainable use of all our natural resources
- Poverty reduction through creation of jobs within the bee keeping value chain within the bee keeping value chain.
