Photo: © FAO/Musa Halıcı

Konya, Türkiye – Through the GEF-funded project “Sustainable Land Management and Climate-Smart Agriculture”, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, distributes beehives to women in rural villages.

Bees are of vital importance for the ecosystem in terms of biodiversity and natural balance, and their disappearance may result in the loss some of nutritious foods that are essential for a healthy diet. Beekeeping represents a source of income for local people and is an important livelihood for beekeepers all over the world, as well as in the forest villages of Konya and Karaman provinces.

Through the project, FAO has distributed beehives and equipment to nine villages in Konya’s Ereğli, Karapınar, Emirgazi and Ayrancı districts to support the healthy nutrition of future generations, support women’s participation in employment, and help them to generate additional income. The beehives and equipment distributed to the 68 women consist of a Caucasian queen and colony, and basic beekeeping equipment comprising masks, gloves, honey knife, beeswax and queen separator. Women who own beehives are also given hands-on practical training covering seasonal care, pest control, reproduction and nutrition.

At a handover ceremony organized on World Environment Day, FAO Project Coordinator Fatma Güngör explained the rationale behind the project: “We distribute beehives and equipment to women entrepreneurs in Konya to help ensure the sustainability of biological diversity and to empower women. Today, the women who own beehives in these rural villages are considered real heroes, justifying our decision to focus on women in this project seven years ago.”

About bees

Bees are one of the most hardworking creatures in the world, and have benefited people, plants and the environment for centuries. Bees and other pollinators contribute to food security and nutrition by carrying pollen from one flower to another, enabling not only abundant fruit, nut and seed production, but also greater variety and quality.

Pollinators such as bees, birds and bats contribute to 35 percent of the world’s crop production and increase the production of 87 of the world’s leading food crops, as well as many plant-derived drugs.

Beekeeping is the livelihood and well-being of millions of beekeepers worldwide. Bees play vital role in preserving biodiversity, ensuring the survival and reproduction of many plants, supporting the regeneration of forests, promoting sustainability and adaptation to climate change, and improving the quantity and quality of agricultural production.