Meliponiculture, or better known as stingless beekeeping, is a practice that has been known for many centuries by Amerindians.
Honey is used in the pharmacopoeia of indigenous and peasant communities for its therapeutic virtues recognized for curing certain dermatological and ophthalmological diseases.
The preservation and breeding of stingless bees is of vital importance to the ecosystem. However, the lack of knowledge about them, the use of pesticides, deforestation or monocultures are causing the progressive disappearance of pollinators in general and bees in particular.
The project developed in the villages of La Leonera, Pichinde and Los Andes is called “Guardians of the Meliponini bees in Colombia” and its objective:
- Preserve native stingless bees, in particular the species Tetragonisca Angustula, better known in Colombia as the “Angelita bees”.
- Develop integrated meliponiculture for the benefit of natural ecosystems.
- Train and involve women in particular, and rural communities in the breeding of native stingless bees.
- Promote the provision of ecosystem services by bees.
The Foundation Impulso Verde carries out:
- Training on husbandry and management techniques
- Delivery of materials and supplies
- Bimonthly visits
- Exchange of seeds and seedlings of plant species to provide a food source for bees according to the floral calendar.
