Over the past decade, agro-ecological shifts have presented significant challenges to achieving global food security. Media reports are filled with accounts of erratic weather patterns, rising temperatures, increasing sea levels, and glacial outbursts.
Agriculture, among various sectors, directly experiences the impacts of climate change. Communities struggling with poverty and undernutrition are particularly vulnerable, facing these challenges with minimal resources. This necessitates a more climate-resilient approach to agriculture that maximises productivity from limited available resources.
Bees have been an integral part of our ecosystem for millions of years, contributing to meeting the world’s growing food demands. Despite their small size, they provide crucial ecosystem services essential for food production. Globally, about 400 crop species rely on honeybee pollination, underscoring their economic and ecological significance.
Nepal’s diverse agro-climatic conditions further enhance the potential for honeybee foraging, emphasising their value in the country’s agricultural landscape. However, the increasing emphasis on monoculture cereal production and the persistent use of pesticides have put honeybees and other pollinators at risk.
Honeybees and their role in mitigating the uncertainty
Bees inadvertently collect pollen and nectar contaminated with pesticide residues, leading to neurotoxicity, immune deficiencies, behavioral changes, and chronic ailments, ultimately causing population declines.
Additionally, various diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and parasitic mites contribute to this decline. If this trend continues, poverty and malnutrition levels in Nepal will worsen, further straining natural resources and biodiversity.
A subsequent food crisis could jeopardise Nepal’s goal of achieving Zero Hunger under Sustainable Development Goal 2 by 2030. Currently, 5–8 per cent of global crop production would be lost without pollination services, necessitating changes in human diets and the expansion of agricultural lands to compensate for the shortfall, thus intensifying food security threats worldwide.
Honeybees could play a crucial role in mitigating the uncertainty posed by the climate crisis. Addressing the issues affecting bee populations is essential to harnessing their benefits. Hands-on training for beekeepers, capacity-building programs, and improved agricultural extension services could significantly enhance honey production and its byproducts while also increasing the productivity of oilseed crops, temperate fruits, and other horticultural crops.
Many vegetable and fruit crops—such as melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, apples, peaches, kiwifruit, passion fruit, mangoes, avocados, plums, cherries, cocoa, and coffee—benefit from insect pollination. Additionally, nut crops like almonds, cashews, and macadamia, as well as edible oil crops such as canola and sunflower, rely on pollinators.
Apple orchardists in districts like Mustang, Manang, Jumla, and Mugu place honeybee colonies in their orchards during bloom periods to facilitate cross-pollination of self-incompatible species like Red or Royal Delicious apples, significantly improving productivity.
Research indicates that pollination services contributed USD 477 million to Nepal’s agricultural revenue in 2018, primarily from vegetable and fruit production. This figure reflects only the producer-focused market value; the real value, including consumer-related non-market benefits, is likely much higher. Approximately 70 per cent of the 75 different crops cultivated in Nepal depend, to some extent, on insect pollination for yield and quality.
The economic value of insect pollination in Nepal has increased more than fivefold since 2005 (from USD 80 million), driven by the government’s efforts to promote pollinator-dependent cash crops such as apples, citrus, and cardamom under the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernization Project (PMAMP).
Urgent need for policy and practical interventions
Globally, the number of food emergencies has doubled, from an average of 15 per year in the 1980s to more than 30 per year since 2000. This highlights the urgent need for policy and practical interventions to ensure food availability, access, utilisation, and stability.
In today’s context, where self-sufficiency is a priority, food security plays a crucial role in shaping policy decisions. At minimal expense, honeybees provide food and income while boosting the productivity of horticultural and field crops, offering a viable strategy to address agro-ecological challenges.
In recent years, declining honey sales have become a concern for beekeepers. Despite higher yields, last year’s honey stocks remain unsold. Addressing this surplus is crucial for sustaining the beekeeping industry.
One solution is to tap into Nepal’s honey export potential. Nepalese honey is unique, particularly that produced by Apis laboriosa, a species found exclusively in Nepal. These bees feed on rhododendrons rich in grayanotoxins, creating “Mad Honey,” known for its mild narcotic effects, which has gained international market interest.
Additionally, nectar sources like Chiuri (Indian Butter Tree), Rudilo, and Buckwheat contribute to monofloral honey with distinct flavors. However, several barriers must be overcome to establish Nepalese honey in the international market. The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) sets stringent quality standards that are challenging for Nepal’s small-scale beekeepers to meet, limiting export opportunities.
Moreover, the European Union (EU) only recognizes honey derived from Apis mellifera, while over 40 per cent of Nepal’s honey comes from other bee species, posing another setback. Additionally, small-scale honey exports are economically unviable, leading exporters to mix honey from different producers, complicating traceability and compliance with international standards. Large-scale production through cooperatives or single firms is essential to meet these requirements.
Policymakers must formulate dedicated regulations to facilitate Nepalese honey’s entry into global markets. Small-scale beekeepers need training in modern beekeeping techniques, disease management, and market strategies.
Establishing honey processing centers focused on branding, labeling, and packaging in alignment with EU and international standards is crucial. Nepal has the potential to carve out a niche in the global honey market, but to command premium prices, it must ensure its honey meets international quality standards.
