Kasungu communities thrive with sustainable beekeeping

Recently, IFAW supported intensive training for almost 400 beekeepers to improve their skills and the quality and quantity of honey produced by their hives.

Led by Honey Products Ltd, an organisation committed to preserving the environment while creating economic opportunities for Malawi's community beekeepers, the training showed the beekeepers how to improve honey production so it can be bottled, branded, and sold commercially.

Currently, the average output per hive is about five kilograms of honey. Properly managed hives can produce up to 45 kg per hive per season. "We're hoping this might be possible with the December harvest," said Phillip Namagonya, IFAW projects officer. "This could be a game changer for the incomes of local beekeepers."

In Malawi, poverty and forest loss are closely linked. As rural families seek income, forests face growing pressure from activities such as charcoal production. Beekeeping offers a different path: earning money from healthy forests without cutting down the trees that support them.

Honey and beeswax are among Malawi's most important non-wood forest products. The Malawi Beekeepers Association has about 5,000 active producers, while Malawi's annual honey production is estimated between 5,000 and 8,000 tonnes.

Modern beehives and improved beekeeping methods can increase yields and household income. That economic value can give communities a stronger reason to protect forests rather than cut trees for illegal charcoal production.

Healthy forests also provide the flowering plants and trees bees need. By expanding beekeeping and protecting bee forage, Malawi can strengthen livelihoods while reducing pressure on its forests.

Covering approximately 2,316 square kilometres, Kasungu National Park has a long history of human interaction with the landscape.

Formal conservation measures began in 1930, when the area was declared a Game Reserve. In 1970, Kasungu was declared a national park. Today, communities surrounding the park continue to depend on natural resources for their livelihoods, while growing populations are placing increasing pressure on forests, wildlife species, and other resources.

This makes sustainable livelihood opportunities increasingly important.