Mavilde de Assun莽茫o Alves has been a beekeeper for almost 15 years. Every week she sets up a table to sell honey on the main road or at the local market in Bailundo, a town in Angola鈥檚 central Huambo province.
鈥淚 have many customers,鈥� she says with a smile, although she admits that the work is challenging.
Like most beekeepers in Angola, Ms. Alves walks many kilometres to tend to her hives dotted across the hilly landscape of her 45 hectares of farmland, where she also grows corn, beans, potatoes and other crops.
Each hive, made by hollowing out tree trunks, produces six to eight kilos of honey, which she collects by using smoke to calm and distract the bees while she gathers their honey in a bowl.
Some of it is enjoyed by her family while the rest is sold to help make ends meet in one of the county鈥檚 poorest provinces.
Over the years, the 57-year-old has struggled to maintain the hives, which have dwindled from 15 to eight. Working without protective equipment, she鈥檚 often stung and now suffers from joint inflammation and pain.
But after attending a organized by UNCTAD and the Universidade Jos茅 Eduardo dos Santos, she鈥檚 more confident about the future.
A green sector that can empower women
Ms. Alves is one of seven women trained through an UNCTAD project that is working with the government, researchers, farmers and businesses .
The project is a component of to support Angola鈥檚 efforts to diversify its oil-driven economy. According to recent estimates, oil accounts for more than 90% of the country鈥檚 exports.
identified honey as that could help diversify exports while minimizing environmental impacts and creating new economic opportunities in rural communities.
Although Angola only produces around 90 tons of honey a year, UNCTAD estimates show .
鈥淎ngola is a country with great potential to produce high-quality honey,鈥� says Teresa Moreira, officer-in-charge of UNCTAD鈥檚 international trade division.
鈥淭he country has a diverse range of flora, including several species of flowering plants that provide abundant nectar and pollen for bees. And its warm and humid climate is ideal for beekeeping.鈥�
But to realize its potential, the country needs to modernize the techniques and equipment of beekeepers like Ms. Alves, help them improve the quality of their honey to meet international standards, and give them better access to buyers and infrastructure for processing and transporting their products.
While working with the various actors in the honey sector to improve production methods, UNCTAD has particularly focused on how the project can empower women.
鈥淚n Angola, beekeeping has traditionally been seen as an activity for men,鈥� says Marisa Rodrigues, one of UNCTAD鈥檚 lead trainers for the project. 鈥淭raining women as beekeepers helps to uplift their skills while diversifying and renewing the industry.鈥�
鈥淏eekeeping can give women a sense of empowerment and independence as they take on leadership roles in their communities,鈥� says Ms. Rodrigues.
Protecting the environment while boosting incomes
By learning to care for bees, women farmers are helping to protect the environment and boost food security. About a third of the world's food production depends on pollinators such as bees, according to the UN鈥檚 Food and Agriculture Organization.
And healthier bees produce more and better honey, which increases beekeepers鈥� incomes and improves their families鈥� livelihoods.
Another participant, J煤lia Nangueve, says the training workshop helped her see how a few small improvements make a big difference.
鈥淲e learned not to sell our honey on the street,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better to sell it at the farm or in a covered area so that the honey doesn鈥檛 spoil. Also, if smoke is used then there is a smell, and the honey loses value.鈥�
Ms. Alves credits the workshop with helping her better understand when honey can be produced in her region. Previously, she had only produced honey between October and February 鈥� missing out on the secondary production season, typically between April and June.
Although the secondary season is typically less productive, it can still significantly increase her income.
Besides modern beekeeping techniques, the training also covered forest conservation, honey quality control, and other opportunities in the sector, such as making beeswax or beekeeper鈥檚 suits.
Bringing others on board
Ms. Alves and Ms. Nangueve are the president and vice-president of the Katiavala Agricultural Cooperative, which has 45 women and six men as registered members.
Only some of the members are also beekeepers, but after the training workshop, Ms. Alves and Ms. Nangueve are on a mission to get more people on board.
As trained trainers, they鈥檒l transmit their newly acquired beekeeping knowledge and skills to other members of the community.
鈥淢y dream is to spread the knowledge and increase honey production,鈥� Ms. Alves says.
UNCTAD will work with national stakeholders to produce a guide of best practices based on the experiences of project participants.
