Quality honey for the resilience of mangroves and communities

Posted on 6 September 2017

For Razeny, fisherman and beekeeper, : "t is vital to protect our forests because if there are no more mangroves, there will be no more honey and no more beekeeping. And above all, healthy mangroves give honey of good quality and abundance. "

Razeny is the president of the Matavy Entea (beautiful view) beekeepers’ group at Antanandahy, a village in the heart of the Tsiribihina delta mangroves, on Madagascar’s west coast.

Razeny is a "mpiandriake", a fisherman who lived mainly on fisheries. But he said climate change has shaken his main business: "Today, there are many more offshore winds and fewer fish. The weather has changed. Fishing the open sea has become more difficult for small fishermen like me”. So, he adapted by producing honey from mangroves.

His group now has 10 members and has been trained in beekeeping since 2012 by the NGO Saragna, which works in food security and the environment in Menabe. To date, training have been provided by the Federation of Farmer in the Menabe Region, FITAME (Firaisantsoan'ny Tantsaha Menabe), with the support of WWF.

Razeny and his group took part in the third "Reniala Menabe" fair that ran from August 31 to September 2, 2017. This fair promotes the economy and culture of Menabe for three years under the patronage of government and the Chief of the Region. Razeny and his colleagues sold their honey from the Tsiribihina delta during these three-day fair and sold their entire stock.

According to Razeny :"Beekeeping adds a lot of money. It pays for the education of my five children. I fish at sea in the morning and I take care of my eight hives in the afternoon. My hives produce between 15 and 20 liters each, at 10,000 Ar / liter. "

Razeny is also a member of the mangrove monitoring committee in his community. According to him, beekeeping and conservation are linked: "It is vital to protect our forests because if there are no more mangroves, there will be no more honey and no more beekeeping. And above all, healthy mangroves give honey of good quality and abundance. "

His observation is that the conservation and sustainable management of mangrove forests is at the heart of the honey economy in the Menabe region. A honey that is among the most appreciated of Madagascar!