1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Onsite and Offsite Benefits of SLM

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Centro de Estudios Ambientales de la Orinoquia- Asociación de Becarios de Casanare (ABC) - Colombia

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Native stingless bee keeping (Melipona favosa) protects bees and plants found in forest and savannah ecosystems to produce honey. In contrast to current destructive wild bee honey harvesting, members of the Abril family keep the traditional practice of capturing/rescuing wild nests, and adapt them so that honey can be extracted from the same nest for many years (up to 30 y) without killing the bees.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Native bee honey production in the floodable savannahs of the eastern Colombian Llanos (Orinoco River Basin), relies on stingless bees of the species Melipona favosa. These bees nest inside tree trunks. The main characteristics of the native bee keeping, as currently performed by three generations of the Abril Family, is that it is sustainable, promotes de conservation of native ecosystems, and as far as we know, constitutes the only sustainable and profitable direct use of local biodiversity in the floodable savannahs of the eastern Llanos in Colombia. Its sustainability is due to the adaptations and management of the nests, so that honey can be extracted without damaging the bees. On one hand, they know how to retrieve wild nests, either by rescuing them from rotten trees or the ground, or by cutting the branch with the nest, and then keeping its natural position at all times. Once at their houses, they will study the outside of the nest and listen to the bees inside the nest, with this information they will cut out a part of the tree trunk to create a window. Once opened, they verify the location of the honey and pollen pots and the broods. Then, they will reattach the cut part on to the trunk by using metal wire and sealing the edges with mud. The nest will be hanged with wire in the position it was originally found. Once on site they will check every day for the presence of the sentinel bee and bee activity. Furthermore, they only extract honey during the end of the dry season when bees have enough food reserves. For the extraction, they will reopen the previously cut window, and extract the honey and pollen pots, making sure enough are left behind so that bees can have access to food as well. The mean honey production from each nest is around the 750 ml- 1000 ml. Honey is kept for their own use and sold to some people for a fairly high price (30 dollars per 750 ml). The honey is mainly consumed as a medicinal product, and its low quantity makes it highly sought after. If someone requests it for sight issues, Héctor will extract the honey with a syringe so that it is as clear as possible.
The native bee keeping contributes to protect native bees, as the management of nests can keep them functional for up to 30 years. The Abril family members are well aware of the dependency between honey production and presence of native plants from where bees forage for nectar and pollen. Therefore, they avoid forest clearing and selectively keep shrubs in the grasslands to guarantee food supply for their bees. Also, they plant fruit trees such as guayaba (Psidium guajava) and arazá (Eugenia stipitata), that benefit the bees, which at the same time benefit pollination. Fruit production is mainly used for home use and very seldom they are sold. They also witness the negative impacts that agrochemical airborne dispersion from rice production in the neighbouring farms, have on wild bee populations. So far, their main concern is that they do not know how to multiply the nests.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.4 Videos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• 10-50 years ago

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• as part of a traditional system (> 50 years)

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Héctor Abril, has been working with this traditional systems since more than 50 years ago. The traditional system consists in creating a window implied o extract honey without damaging the nest. This knowledge has been passed on to his sons and daughter.

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production
• conserve ecosystem
• preserve/ improve biodiversity
• create beneficial economic impact

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

No

Comments:

The main economic activity of this group of farms is extensive cattle ranching on natural floodable savannhas (242 ha), but they all have bee keeping in their houses. The number 80 refers to the nest quantity. They preserve gallery forests (108 ha) and allow for fallows (28 ha) to develope near the houses for supplying nectar and pollen to the bees.

3.3 Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

• Yes (Please fill out the questions below with regard to the land use before implementation of the Technology)

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

No

Comments:

The fact that their traditional practice allow for them to keep the bee nests in their houses for up to 30 years, means that they had to protect surrounding forests and allow for shrubland recovery nearby the house. Otherwise, they would just either collect honey directly in the field in a single destructive event or bring a couple of nests per year home and then extract honey in a destructive way.

3.4 Water supply

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• rainfed

Comments:

The farms have some windmills for water extraction for the cattle ranching, but these are not used for the natural ecosystems that sustain the bees during the dry season.

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• beekeeping, aquaculture, poultry, rabbit farming, silkworm farming, etc.

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

Comments:

Bee keeping implies supplying the bees nectar and polen demands, thus, for sustaining their bees the Abril family is particularly keen on protecting their gallery forests and allow shrub regeneration. In addition, they are cultivating fruit trees (guayaba- Psidium guajava; arazá- Eugenia stipitata) near the houses, impplying a change in land cover from grazing land to fruit crops.

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

Forest conservation and shrub recovery and fruit crops aid in the reduction of erosion by water during the wet season, and erosion by wind during the dry season. Forest conservation and shrub recovery and fruit crops reduce areas exposed to cattle trampling. Forest conservation, shrub recovery and fruit crops are likely important to protect soil fauna, to enhance the survival of bees and many other animal and plant species. A high density of pollinators is also important for natural vegetation and fruitting crop

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• prevent land degradation

Comments:

On the one hand, they actively preserve the riparian forests because of their awareness of the relation between bee survival and honey production with forest cover. This reduces land degradation. On the other hand, surrounding their houses where they keep the bees they have planted trees and allowed for fallow areas to offer pollen and nectar to their bees, restoring land that has been previously used for cattle ranching

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology unit

Specify currency used for cost calculations:

• USD

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	Wild nest recue or extraction and transport to the house	Depends on the finding, but it is preferred in the dry season where more floral resources are available
2.	Opening of a window in the nest	A couple of days after being collected/recued
3.	Locating the nest under housing	Just after the window opening

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Two people for wild nest recue or extraction and transport to the house	day	2.0	15.0	30.0	100.0
Labour	Opening of a window in the nest	day	0.5	15.0	7.5	100.0
Labour	Housing construction (two people)	day	2.0	15.0	30.0	100.0
Labour						100.0
Equipment	Saw	unit	1.0	20.0	20.0	100.0
Equipment	Chissel	unit	1.0	10.0	10.0	100.0
Equipment	hammer	unit	1.0	8.0	8.0	100.0
Equipment	Metal wire	kilo	0.5	11.0	5.5	100.0
Equipment	Ax	unit	1.0	20.0	20.0	100.0
Construction material	boles minimum 15 cm diamater and 2 m of height	boles	4.0	8.0	32.0	100.0
Construction material	wood support 4 m long	unit	4.0	6.0	24.0	100.0
Construction material	Roof laminas (3 m)	laminas	3.0	18.0	54.0	100.0
Construction material	Nails	box	2.0	9.0	18.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					259.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					259.0

Comments:

The construction of a bee nest house can hold up to 30 bee nests.

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	Checking the bee nests	daily
2.	Harvesting honey	yearly
3.	Seedling collection	monthly
4.	tree nursery care	daily
5.	planting trees	monthly

4.6 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Daily check per bee nest	day	0.005	15.0	0.07	100.0
Labour	honey harvest per bee nest (2 people)	day	1.0	15.0	15.0	100.0
Labour	Seedling collection	month	2.0	15.0	30.0	100.0
Labour	Planting of fruitting trees	month	2.0	15.0	30.0	100.0
Equipment	Chissel	unit	1.0	10.0	10.0	100.0
Equipment	Broom	unit	1.0	3.0	3.0	100.0
Equipment	Hammer	unit	1.0	8.0	8.0	100.0
Equipment	Syringe	unit	1.0	0.2	0.2	100.0
Equipment	Empty glass bottles (750 ml)	unit	70.0	0.4	28.0	100.0
Equipment	Table	unit	1.0	30.0	30.0	100.0
Equipment	shovel	unit	1.0	20.0	20.0	100.0
Plant material	Bags x 50 units	bag	1.0	5.0	5.0	100.0
Plant material	Soil	sack	4.0	6.0	24.0	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					203.27
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD					203.27

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

The way they manage the bee productive system is fairly cheap and most materials are already accessible within the farms.

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• not relevant

Comments and further specifications on topography:

This is a low elevation flat area. Overall the floodable savannahs are concave but microtopography has primarily concave areas (bajos) with a lower extent of convex areas (bancos).

5.3 Soils

If available, attach full soil description or specify the available information, e.g. soil type, soil PH/ acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, nitrogen, salinity etc.

In the seasonally floodable savannhas there are three main soil types: 1) Clayey sediments, 2) fine and coarse alluvial sediments, and 3) lime and sand eolic deposits. Soil description is based on the 1:100.000 scale Casanare soil study, by the National Geographical Institute Agustín Codazzi.

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

No

Is flooding of the area occurring?

Yes

Regularity:

frequently

Comments and further specifications on water quality and quantity:

Drinking water is usually provided by ground water year round. During the wet season there is a generalized flood, and during the dry season there is severe drought. Thus, the water table level goes from surface to deeper than 9 m.

5.5 Biodiversity

Comments and further specifications on biodiversity:

Habitats include: Gallery/riparian forest, isolated tree islands (matas de monte), seasonally flooded savannhas, wetlands.
Reported biodiversity for the seasonally floodable savannahs is: 183 spp of mammals, 507 spp of birds, 108 spp of anphibians, 119 spp of reptiles, 567 spp of fish, 1479 spp of plants (Mora-Fernández et al., 2015).

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

All the land user's reported here are family members.

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• individual, not titled

Land use rights:

• individual

Water use rights:

• individual

Are land use rights based on a traditional legal system?

Yes

Specify:

They are in the process of gaining rights, given the farms have been theirs for more than 50 years.

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

Comments:

These farms are in fairly remote area with poor access roads, there is a rural school but for the other services people have to travel for at least 2 hours by car to the closest urban center.

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Income and costs

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

Specify assessment of on-site impacts (measurements):

Measurements are qualitative estimates

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

Specify assessment of off-site impacts (measurements):

Measurements are qualitative estimates

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Biological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
epidemic diseases	not well

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

Comments:

Honey harvesting is only possible once per year so for the short term it takes some time before retrieving income. However, once the nests are re-established at home the maintenance is fairly easy. The rareness and uniqueness of the product sells well in the local market. The external markets are not aware of such a product.

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• single cases/ experimental

If available, quantify (no. of households and/ or area covered):

5

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 91-100%

Comments:

Talking with other local people we found that the traditional practice is very rare, mainly because it used to be the only source for sweeteners, but with the arrival of sugar cane and sugar, people stopped the practice, and for new generations the tradicional way is almost forgotten. This is highly menacing because when people find a wild nest they only destructively extract the honey affecting wild bee populations.

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

No

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
The medicinal properties attributed to the product make it highly sought after.
Having the nests at home, and passing on the traditional practice to new generations is very important, because they find very interesting to know about bee behaviour and pollination function for fruitting trees.
Costs are fairly low, and despite production is synchronized the demand of the product is higher that the production, so it is a welcome income to the family household assets.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Their practice is non destructive and bee population is enhanced in the houses, it is very likely that bees will find new wild nesting sites. In this regard bee nests at houses are a source of individuals for wild populations, given that there are trees and forests nearby.
This practice and their knwoledge on bee behaviour and biology motivates people to conserve forests and trees and allow for fallows surrounding their houses.
Negative effects on their bee populations derived from land use change int heir surroundings and application of agrochemicals by neighboring rice crops serve as an indicator for them to know if those practices are deteriorating their environment.

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Despite the long term survival of captured wil bee nests, they still rely on collecting wild nests. Which in time they feel are more scarcee	For them it is crucial to learn how to split their "domesticated" nests so they can increase production without depending on wild nests.
The expansion of rice crops in the area is a major threat	Public policy and law inforcement in aerial agrochemical application is urgent. Also, the transition from usual rice crop management to a more enrionmental management is required.
New generations are less likely to adopt traditional practices, endengering the persistence of this knowledge in time	The recognition of this traditional productive system is fundamental.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
A one time per year harvesting of the product could potentially be increased to expand this sustainable practice	Restoration of key dietary elements surrounding their houses and an increase in connectivity with remaingin forest patches could potentially increase honey production
We agree that the loss of this practice is inminent if it is not protected as a cultural heritage	Knwoledge transfer to new generations and the recovery of this productive system, once "domesticated" bee nest can be divided or multiplied.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.3 Links to relevant online information

Title/ description:

Diversidad de abejas sin aguijón (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) utilizadas en meliponicultura en Colombia. Nates-Parra, G. and Rosso-Londoño, J.M. (2013).

URL:

https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/3190/319029232001.pdf

Title/ description:

Policy Brief: Land Use Change Impacts in the Cusiana Watershed of the River Basin, Orinoco River Basin, Colombia Author: Liniger HP, Vega LF, Ramírez BH, Eichenberger J, Year: 2020

URL:

https://www.wocat.net/en/projects-and-countries/projects/onsite-and-offsite-benefits-sustainable-land-management/colombia

Title/ description:

Video: Land Use Change Impacts in the Cusiana Watershed of the River Basin, Orinoco River Basin, Colombia

URL:

https://vimeo.com/429999595

7.4 General comments

It is a bit too long but feasible to fill in.