Our 3-year programmes enable women to restore declining bee populations while building sustainable additional livelihood options. Through hands-on training in rearing declining indigenous honeybee species, the women generate income by producing and selling honey. At the same time, they cultivate and plant trees, enhancing biodiversity, boosting pollinator populations, improving crop yields, and helping combat environmental degradation and climate change.

Our  2022–2024 Programme and the difference it made

• 80 women trained as beekeepers: 40 in the Pandiyar mangroves and 40 in the Ayyalur forest area.
• 600 individual training sessions conducted.
• 600 hives distributed.
• 600 Apis Cerana Indica bee colonies captured from the forest and distributed to 80 women for creating managed colonies.
• 36 million+ Apis Cerana Indica honeybees introduced into the environment.
• 6,000 native fruit trees planted to improve nectar and pollen resources for pollinators and other wildlife.
• 3,000 kilograms of honey produced and sold by the 40 women in Ayyalur, generating approximately £7 per kilogram. (In Pandiyar, the 40 women participated for one year and primarily produced honey for family consumption.)
• £250 additional income generated annually for each of the 40 Ayyalur families from honey sales. In comparison, alternative income sources such as unskilled construction work pay as little as £36 annually.

The Programme continues in 2025-2027

The World Bee Project CIC’s programme in the Ayyalur forest, in Tamil Nadu, India, consists of multiple projects sponsored by different organisations and is governed by The World Bee Project CIC and implemented on the ground by its local NGO partner, Seeds Trust. 

The 3-year programmes enable women farmers to restore declining bee populations while creating sustainable livelihoods. Through hands-on training in rearing indigenous honeybee species, women generate income by producing and selling honey. At the same time, they cultivate and plant trees, enhancing biodiversity, boosting pollinator populations, improving crop yields, and combating environmental degradation and climate change.

The programme can lead to sustainable development solutions such as protecting farmer livelihoods, creating diverse and more abundant pollinator populations, improving crop pollination, positively impacting food systems, lowering environmental degradation, and contributing to best practice guidance for government policies on land management for pollinator protection and biodiversity restoration.

The World Bee Project programmes for women in adversity are
endorsed by Human Rights lawyer Professor Phillipe Sands, KC.