BEEKEEPING, AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO SHEA TREE CONSERVATION IN UGANDA A CASE STUDY OF KITGUM WOMEN BEEKEEPER S ASSOCIATION (KITWOBEE)

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1 BEEKEEPING, AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO SHEA TREE CONSERVATION IN UGANDA A CASE STUDY OF KITGUM WOMEN BEEKEEPER S ASSOCIATION (KITWOBEE) BY Simon Peter Ochola Co Author Margaret Rose Ogaba

2 Introduction Beekeeping has a rich heritage in my country Uganda and Africa It has a long tradition and was practices as a hobby by only the elderly men Honey hunting was a very common phenomenon Young men hunted both the stingless bee known as Ojibo or Ojang in Acholi in the crevice of anthills Honey was not for sale, it was used for eating, gift to important visitors and curing diseases

3 Introduction Cont Introduction Cont d Until recent beekeepers started housing bees in a well made hives Beekeeping then became a sustainable, costeffective model for community development. The potential for honey production could be exploited by abundance of plants, local materials, indigenous knowledge and skills easy integration into crop production It is environmentally sustainable and does not destroy the environment Nationally beekeepers are well acquainted and knowledgeable with the forages favored by bees

4 Introduction Cont Introduction Cont d Honey is highly nutritious and its market is available locally, nationally and internationally An amber color honey is most ideal for urban and export market. Shea nut tree Butyrospermum parkii is well known for its blossom to produces an amber colour of honey. Unfortunately these Shea nut trees is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN s) red list of threatened species.

5 Introduction to KITWOBEE Introduction to KITWOBEE A community based association of women engaged in modern beekeeping in Kitgum Uganda. It has a vision to reduce poverty among rural women though beekeeping KITWOBEE has15 years of beekeeping experience, as well as detailed knowledge of livelihood survival in the post conflict situation of Acholi land in Northern Uganda. It has culture of preserving Shea tree as an excellent source of forages

6 Introduction to KITWOBEE cont Introduction to KITWOBEE cont d KITWOBEE is in partner with Christians Outreach Relief Development, Hives Save Lives, SNV and AVSI It won various recognitions, silver prize award in the 1 st ever Apiculture Expo in Africa held in Uganda Oct 2008 and July st prize in the livestock under value addition in the national agricultural trade show The quality of the honey and beeswax from Shear nut trees blossom contributed to this success.

7 Status of Shea trees in Uganda Shea nut tree is a slow-growing savannah hardwood fruits trees indigenous to Northern Uganda and is controlled by women It produces fruits which is widely eaten Inside the nutritious fruit is a large hard seed which yields Shea-butter, locally known as Moo Yaa in Acholi It is used as an essential food-oil, cosmetic, sacred substance and to raise income.

8 The important of Shea tree to people s s livelihood Shea tree Shea fruits Shea nut seeds Shea Butter women selling Shea butter

9 Status of Shea trees in Uganda cont d Historically, these trees have been protected because of value However, increasing population pressure and need for fuel wood has led to greater destruction of the Shea trees. Shea trees produce a very high quality charcoal that produces much heat energy.

10 Shea tree conservation in Uganda: Shea tree is of great value to the local people in Uganda In 1992, Cooperation Office for Voluntary Organisation (COVOL) started a Shea conservation project in Lira. The project received funding in 1995 from USAID and further expanded to Katakwir, Pader, Gulu, Amuria, Amuru, Abim and Kitgum.

11 Shea tree conservation in Uganda cont d: The project became short off when insecurity in the region deteriorated in The situation is also expected to worsen further in the course of former Internally Displaced Persons returning to their homes Beekeeping had been identified by KITWOBEE as a sustainable approach that can be used to inspire the local communities to conserve Shear nut trees in Uganda.

12 Opportunity for integrating beekeeping with Shea tree conservation: Traditional knowledge Paying high price for honey produced from Shea trees Rewarding individual local farmers who had protected Shea trees on their farmland. Easy integration into agro forestry system KITWOBEE has embarked on sensitizing the local community on the value of Shea trees

13 Constrain to conservation of Shea tree: Poor implementation of policy on conservation of national resources Inadequate knowledge on value of Shea trees to honey production and quality has created ignorance on the protection of Shea trees in Uganda Poverty and Population increase Local traditional practices of bush burning Limited resources for conserving Shea trees

14 Way forward: Way forward: Integrating Shea tree conservation and development with beekeeping Paying premium prices for honey produced from Shea nectar Rewarding individual farmers who had managed to protect Shea trees on their farm Implementing the COVOL Project Educating the local population on the value of Shea tree Planting fast maturing agro forestry trees Research on the danger of some of traditional practices on Shea trees

15 Conclusion: Beekeeping provides a good opportunity for environmental conservation through local pollination and increases crop yields. Conservation of Shea trees can work well by combining it with beekeeping. Empowering local and forest authorities to arrest individuals who fell down Shea trees I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY SPONSOR FOR THIS APIMONDIA THAT IS AVSI/USAID UNDER THE SPRING PROJECT