Mozambique's Pomene Reserve Launches Beekeeping Programme to Support Conservation and Community Income
A community beekeeping initiative is underway in Mozambique's Pomene National Reserve, combining biodiversity conservation with sustainable economic development for local communities in the Reserve's Buffer Zone. The Honey Programme, supported by BIOFUND through Sweden's Biodiversity Conservation Programme, has established four community apiaries - one each in the communities of Nhahusua, Muchungo, Minerva, and Pomene - comprising a total of 32 beehives. Complete beekeeping kits have been distributed to 32 beneficiaries across the four communities, and technical training has been provided to equip participants with the skills needed to practise beekeeping safely and efficiently.
The initiative promotes beekeeping as an economic activity compatible with conservation, generating alternative income for communities while supporting ecosystem services - particularly plant pollination, which is essential for the natural regeneration of species and the resilience of local habitats. By strengthening honey-related value chains, the programme creates tangible opportunities for economic inclusion in a region where livelihoods are closely tied to the natural environment. The model reflects a growing approach across African conservation areas of aligning community benefit with biodiversity protection to ensure the long-term sustainability of both.
Source: Club of Mozambique
