Beekeeping – modern apiculture for Benin

Forest conservation and beekeeping go hand in hand: without forests there are no bees, and without bees there is no honey. Each year about five to eight tonnes of pure, organic honey are harvested in and around the Tobé forest and sold throughout Benin. Over time, «Miel Tobé» has become a trademark and famous product in Benin.

There was no tradition of beekeeping in the Tobé region. In the past, when hunters discovered bee colonies, they would cut down the tree, burn the bees, and collect the honey. From 1995 onwards, with the support of the foundation, modern beekeeping practices were introduced. Since 2002, around 350 beekeepers from the Bantè region have come together under the ASAB (Association des Apiculteurs de Bantè). Each year, members produce about five to eight tonnes of pure, organic honey, which is quality-controlled by governmental agencies and sold across Benin. The foundation currently supports the association in expanding the production of beeswax and propolis. It also finances advisory services for beekeepers across an area roughly the size of the Canton of Zug, as well as regular training sessions on beekeeping at the ASAB training centre in Koko.

The honey processing unit (Miellerie Tobé) is a small enterprise that operates independently. It is located in Koko on the ASAB site. A team of three manages the collection, extraction, and weighing of the honey, and ensures timely payment to the beekeepers. The honey is then filtered and stored in large tanks before being packaged into retail unit of 1,000, 500, and 250 grams for sale. Adjacent to the honey processing unit is a carpentry unit where beehives are repaired (Langstroth and Kenyan types) and new ones are produced using locally sourced teak wood. The site also includes a training room, twelve accommodation units, and around twenty bee colonies across different hive types, providing a practical environment for training and capacity building, particularly for ASAB members. While honey sales generate income, they are not sufficient to cover larger investments, such as water and energy supply. To address these needs, the Foundation and ASAB actively seek additional support and partnerships.

In response to ongoing deforestation, beekeepers from across Benin came together in 2017 – also at the initiative of ASAB – to establish a national association. Since 2023, they have been working collectively to secure official recognition for «Honey from Benin», with the aim of accessing international markets, including Europe. The association actively promotes reforestation and the protection of communal and sacred forests, ensuring that native bee populations – small, fast, and highly resilient – continue to find sufficient flowering resources. As natural ecosystems change, it becomes essential to restore and manage them sustainably: without blossoms, there is no honey. Forest conservation and beekeeping are therefore intrinsically linked. For this reason, the Foundation Tobé Benin also supports communities in other regions of the country that seek to protect their forests and benefit from shared knowledge and experience.