Beekeeping Methods and Techniques

Beekeeping tends to be perceived as ‘a hobby’, or as ‘a sideline activity’. These descriptions may often be true, but a resilient livelihood – one that keeps people out of poverty – is one that has access to a range of options. In this case, apiculture and related trades can be sources of valuable strength to countless numbers of rural people’s livelihoods. Rather than just a ‘hobby’, beekeeping may be seen as an important occupation and part of rural life worldwide. In rural communities where access to income is limited, small-scale beekeeping can contribute significantly to livelihood security. Apiculture and related trades tends to be underplayed in both policy and planning. One reason may be the focus of rural development, wherein crop production and livestock rearing are taken to be dominant activities in rural areas. This perspective can render invisible the part beekeeping occupies in social life, culture, and local economies.