Empowering marginalized beekeepers in Sri Lanka: a sustainable path forward

Beekeeping plays a crucial role in enhancing livelihoods and promoting biodiversity. It provides honey and beeswax, offering a sustainable source of income for marginalized communities, particularly in rural areas. When practiced in harmony with the environment, sustainable beekeeping helps preserve plant diversity, improve agricultural productivity, and support ecosystem health through pollination.

Upcountry Sri Lanka holds high potential for beekeeping, but it has not yet reached its full potential as a livelihood strategy. There is a lack of awareness, technical knowledge, and institutional support. Existing beekeeping practices are often traditional and not optimized for modern efficiency or environmental sustainability. Many young people perceive it as an outdated or unprofitable practice. We set out to change this by engaging young people, developing skills, and improving market accessibility, to unlock beekeeping’s full potential for both economic empowerment and ecological conservation.

Equipping young beekepers with skills for success

We are a group of researchers with diverse expertise working on sustainable food systems and enhancing livelihoods while promoting biodiversity in Sri Lanka’s upcountry regions. Our  Empowering Marginalized Beekeepers In Sri Lanka project focused on marginalized youth living in forest areas (Meemure and Ududumbara). We ran trainings to provide them with skills in beekeeping, hive management, and biodiversity conservation. The project has helped 60 young people .

The workshops were conducted in collaboration with the Bee PERA society of the University of Peradeniya and governmental institutes (e.g. Divisional Secretariat Office in Ududumbara and Bee Development Unit of the Department of Agriculture, Sri Lanka). With SLU and SIANI’s support, this program assisted the beekeepers not only with practical skills, but also bee colonies, beekeeping tools, and hands-on experience in managing bee colonies and addressing environmental challenges.

Beekeeping leads to increased wellbeing of people and nature

Over 70% of the bee colonies set up during the project were thriving. However, we learned that continuous technical assistance and resources are crucial for the long-term success: termite attacks and wax moth infestations were present in 15% and 7% of the colonies, respectively.

We also ensured sustained success in other ways – by not only equipping marginalized youth with essential skills in beekeeping and hive management, but also instilling a sense of pride and self-reliance among the participants.

The beekeeping project in Sri Lanka’s upcountry regions has significantly contributed to enhancing livelihoods and promoting biodiversity: it has improved economic stability and food security and the resulting increased bee population has enhanced pollination services, supporting healthier and more productive ecosystems. Through sustainable practices, the project has fostered biodiversity conservation and ecological preservation, demonstrating the positive impact of community-driven initiatives on both people and the environment.

Starting a global dialogue to keep the momentum going

We wanted our impact to go beyond local communities and start a global dialogue on creating more resilient and equitable food systems that empower marginalized communities and make the case for policy change. We shared our approach and outcomes of the initiative with undergraduate students at the University of Peradeniya and we visited the Bee Developmental Unit of the Department of Agriculture, Sri Lanka, for an advanced training-of-trainers program.

We also had the opportunity to interact with governmental officers dedicated to this issue, collaborate with academics, subject experts, and community leaders in the villages where the project was implemented, ensuring all stakeholders were included.

After gaining valuable insight into beekeeping, the challenges faced by youth in entering the sector participants expressed interest in integrating beekeeping into existing agricultural programs at the undergraduate level and supporting youth-led initiatives organized by student-led societies.

Success factors and future directions

The project’s success was largely due to the strong collaboration with local partners, such as the Bee PERA society of the University of Peradeniya and governmental institutes. This community-driven approach fostered a supportive environment and ensured the sustainability of the initiative, ensuring not only improved economic stability, but also strengthening of food systems and protection of fragile ecosystems, making beekeeping a sustainable solution for marginalized youth in Sri Lanka.

More institutional support at a national level and more funding could help scale up these efforts and make the impact more sustainable by providing the much needed ongoing technical support to young beekeepers. Future work could also address the remaining issues of market accessibility and infrastructure challenges. Establishing market linkages, cooperatives and expanding already successful direct-to-consumer structures seen elsewhere (e.g. Meemure) would make it easier for beekeepers to receive fair prices and expand their businesses. With the right support, beekeeping can transform into a scalable and sustainable livelihood model, benefiting both local communities and the environment.

Read more about the project.