Nature's Nectar
Nature’s Nectar is a Zambian honey company. Using modern beehives, they reduce deforestation, produce top-quality honey, and pay a price premium to farmers. While beekeeping is traditionally a male occupation in Zambia, half of the farmers Nature's Nectar works with are women.
Nature's uses Kenyan top-bar beehives, made of local pinewood. They take far less timber to produce and last ten times as long as traditional beehives. The honey is of a much better quality, so they can pay a premium price to farmers.
Each farmer in the system receives ten beehives. Zone lead farmers, who are chosen by their peer network, get a special training. This ensures high quality and prevents side selling by the farmers.
Nature's works with subsistence farmers, who earn between 200 and 250 USD per year. they can increase their incomes by 20 to 30 per cent. Beekeeping is not labour intensive in this model, so they do not need to cut down on their other activities. Half of the farmers are female. The model is more inclusive than traditional beekeeping, since women do not need to climb trees or spend days in the fields.