Beekeepers working together for improved livelihoods, resilience and gender equality in Senegal

Honey from Casamance, an area in the south of Senegal, represents 70 percent of national production*. In spite of this, the region remains poor with approximately 50 percent of people affected by food insecurity and malnutrition**. Due to a lack of collaboration between actors involved in the sector, local beekeepers struggle to keep up with growing demand and export opportunities. These challenges are worsened by the impacts of the climate crisis with significant changes in temperature and precipitation patterns becoming more frequent.

Within the framework of the FAO Strengthening Agricultural Adaptation (SAGA) project funded by the Government of Quebec, the CasaMiel initiative led by FAO implementing partner Société de coopération pour le développement international (SOCODEVI) is working to increase the production of honey in Senegal while strengthening beekeepers’ resilience in the face of climate change, and reducing gender inequality in the sector.

The CasaMiel initiative is put into practice through Farmer Field Schools (FFS) which bring participants together to learn how to shift towards more sustainable production practices by better understanding complex agro-ecosystems and by enhancing ecosystem services. In this case, the FFS approach was adapted by SOCODEVI to place a strong emphasis on climate resilience, environmental protection and gender equality

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