Bees and people: a sweet alliance that is about more than honey

19/05/2026

Bees and other pollinators are essential for life. According to estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), nearly 75 percent of food crops depend on them, especially fruits and vegetables. Around the world, there are approximately 25,000 species of bees present on every continent except Antarctica, many of which now face growing threats such as climate change, habitat loss, the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, and the spread of pests and diseases.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the work of pollinators takes place quietly but decisively. Between forests, mountains and water sources, bees do more than produce honey: they sustain ecosystems, regenerate landscapes, and, above all, their sustainable use promotes cooperation among people and communities, especially in rural areas.

From Mexico to Argentine Patagonia, bees are at the heart of experiences of collective work, economic autonomy and women’s leadership. The stories of those who live alongside them teach us to learn from nature, use it sustainably, work collectively, care for it, and share it.

Masters of community work

Bees live in highly organized societies where each individual fulfills a specific role for the well-being of the whole. This model has inspired many human communities to rethink their productive and social practices.

In Neuquén, Argentina, following a training programme, a group of 12 people —most of them women— each received two beehives upon completing the process. “We grouped them all together and created a single apiary,” explains Laura Ponulef, one of the group members. This is how Kume Ziwlliñ Mapu was born, a name that refers to the “good territory of the bee” and reflects the link between beekeeping and environmental stewardship.

“We have learned a great deal from bees. They have an impressive organization and teach us to work in a more community-oriented way,” reflects Laura.

This inspiration has led them to strengthen their activity through Argentina’s REDD+ Results-Based Payments Project, implemented by FAO with financing from the Green Climate Fund, through the construction of a shared physical space for work, storage of materials and collective gatherings. This space allows them not only to consolidate and improve production, but also to meet, make decisions, and generate new economic opportunities together.

Buzzing toward the middle of the world, in southern Ecuador, taking advantage of the forest and productive landscapes in the buffer zone of Podocarpus National Park, an area of high biodiversity, “Abejita Longeva” was born, a bio-enterprise that promotes cooperation between beekeepers and landowners through the installation of beehives. To date, it includes 85 participating families.

Ruth Guamán is one of its members. Proudly, she highlights that “Abejita Longeva” now has sustainable production and a solidarity-based marketing system that includes nougats, natural soaps, candles and jams. With support from FAO’s Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), they have learned new techniques for honey production and processing. “We are confident that we will generate better opportunities for young people, men and women in the sector while caring for the environment and Podocarpus through our delicious honey,” she says.

In both cases, the lesson is clear: bees do more than produce honey, they also teach us to organize, cooperate and think about collective well-being.

Native bees in Latin America and the Caribbean: stingless bees

Alongside traditional beekeeping, there is a lesser known but equally crucial richness: native stingless bees, known as meliponas. These species, native to the region and found in tropical and subtropical forests, have coexisted with human communities for centuries, forming part of productive, cultural and ecological systems.

In the La Frailescana Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas, Mexico, Alondra Martínez walks among flowers she planted herself, colouring the landscape and the lives of bees. “We plant flowers so the bees do not have to go far away and can stay nearby,” she says.

Together with a group of women and men, they have turned meliponiculture into a productive alternative, but also into a way of protecting the environment. To achieve this, they have worked to prevent forest and shrubland burning, reforest areas, implement good species management practices, and organize collectively. They understood that the well-being of their community is directly linked to the health of the ecosystem.

Through the project “Strategic strengthening in Protected Natural Areas”, promoted by Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) and FAO in Mexico, Alondra and her community have strengthened their capacities, creating a network of conservation, culture and livelihoods. The initiative has helped protect 3.5 million hectares through 40 new Protected Natural Area decrees and the certification of more than 635,000 hectares across 76 Voluntarily Conserved Areas.

Meliponas are also widely present in the Amazon. In the midst of this ecosystem, near one of Bolivia’s largest rivers, the Beni River, it is possible to find at least seven genera of melipona bees raised in their natural state in an Eco Refuge for native bees. Nine students from the “San Buenaventura” Technological Institute in northern La Paz lead this programme, not only for agriculture.

Their work has integrated the forest, bees, and water. The refuge is home to Melipona eburnea, known for its large size and honey production; Tetragonisca angustula, also called “Señorita” because it is small and stingless; Plebeia spp or “Periquita”; and Mamuris, one of the native species crucial for pollinating the Amazon chestnut tree, an economic driver of the region.

In addition, meliponas are key allies of Bolivian livestock farming, as they pollinate forage crops and improve pasture quality and, with it, livestock health. As part of the pollinator group, they also help forests play an important role in the water cycle.

After fires or deforestation, they act as natural rebuilders, regenerating degraded ecosystems and bringing resilience to the landscape.

The group of students has received technical guidance from FAO, which has been fundamental to the innovative melipona process they are promoting. The Eco Refuge is supported by the Autonomous Municipal Government, in coordination with the “San Buenaventura” Technological Institute and with support from FAO’s “Sustainable Forests” project.

Learning from the hive to transform the future

Across all these experiences, one common thread emerges: the interdependence between humans, bees, and ecosystems. Pollinators teach us that cooperation is more powerful than individual effort, that balance with nature is indispensable, and that collective well-being depends on every action.

The stories from Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia and Ecuador show that when communities, and especially women, become protagonists, beekeeping and meliponiculture go beyond production to become engines of social and environmental change.

With FAO’s support, these initiatives protect pollinators while also strengthening local economies, promoting equity and regenerating territories.