Beekeeping is a common addition to the options for making a living in Kenya, and has great potential for supporting sustainable development if well managed. We therefore promote locally appropriate beekeeping practices to enable participants to generate income to enhance their livelihoods, alleviate poverty and improve their quality of life.

Beekeeping as a livelihood strategy

Whereas crop pollination is, by far, the most important and profitable of bee services, honey is the most well known and most profitable of the direct products resulting from the efforts of honey bees. There are however, numerous other products that can be derived from beekeeping. These include honey-based products (such as candy), beeswax, pollen (as a supplement), candles, propolis (or bee glue, used in cosmetics), as well as additional bees for sale to other parties. Income generated from such bee-keeping projects can be channeled to other development strategies that are geared toward poverty eradication and promotion of sustainable livelihoods.