Prime Minister Modi calls the honey business a "sweet revolution".

Farmers can produce food grains and honey and also increase their production.

Sounds so sweet and easy to hear, doesn't it?

Just as honey is sweet but sticky, so are the problems with its production. Such as the origin of bee species, chemical pesticides, human encroachment and lack of awareness.

Following a successful webinar on natural and organic farming, TERRE Policy Centre organized a webinar on "Beekeeping" in Marathi. Where your chosen speakers are beekeepers and they are beekeepers themselves.

The economic potential of these bee colonies was enumerated by the speakers. 10 bee colonies can produce annually a profit of 3 lakh. It is critical to harness this potential, so that farmers can make this a part of the Integrated Farming System or (IFS).

Bees currently are on the decline because of several man-made factors owing to which crop losses, for which bees are important have been on the rise.
The feasibility of beekeeping in arid regions was demonstrated by Dr Bhalchandra Waikar of Marathwada University in Aurangabad upon a question of beekeeping livelihood practices in high-temperature zones.

Mr Rahul Deval, an entrepreneur showed how the idea of a beekeeping business or apiculture struck him while watching a Punjabi Soap Opera, making him realize how untapped the market was. He further highlighted the movement “save the bees”- the importance of which has been upheld by several international organization including the United Nations.

The initiatives of the government in promoting not only the increase in the production of honey but also the protection of the domestic species which are rarely used for harvesting were highlighted by Digvijay Patil, Directorate, Maharashtra State Khadi and Village Industries Board.

Several economic, social and climate-based implications of Beekeeping as a livelihood practice were brought out in the discussion with the lively audience who were enthused by the contributions of the little creatures.

“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left.”
- Albert Einstien