Meliponicultoras

Female Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Indigenous communities were familiar with raising stingless bees even before the arrival of Spaniards in South America. This cultural knowledge is transmitted orally and largely preserved by the communities that actively practice stingless beekeeping. These practices lead to increased reforestation, improved health of our our ecosystems, and sustainable economies that support local communities providing an alternative to destructive practices.

In the rural areas of the Amazon, women face many challenges when starting their own journeys in conservation and sustainable entrepreneurship. These challenges are due to a lack of training, financing, illiteracy, traditional gender norms, and the responsibilities of childcare and family care, as indicated by metrics from the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics of Peru and the World Bank. Our project fosters the ability to develop female-led businesses that are environmentally sustainable and based on stingless beekeeping, strengthening the roles of Amazonian women as agents of change for a sustainable future. 

In a community-driven approach, we collaborate with Ashaninka, Kukama-kukamiria and Ese Ejje female community members and leaders Peru and Bolivia to:

1) Disseminate knowledge on sustainable stingless beekeeping practices, conservation and sustainable entrepreneurship through capacity building and seminars, in-person and virtually

2) Foster greater appreciation for bee biodiversity and conservation while instilling a message of hope locally and globally

3) Support stingless beekeepers to grow a circular local economy that offers an effective alternative to destructive deforestation practices