The Beehives (Colmeias) project, a Fibria initiative with a partnership with beekeepers' associations and cooperatives in São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Espírito Santo, and Bahia. The objective is to strengthen the beekeeping activity in these states, generating employment and income from the improvement of the production chain of eucalyptus honey and of native forests.
From production to marketing, the Beehives project offers support in implementing new technologies and enables each beekeeper to develop their business plan. In 2016, the associations that were part of the program accounted for 35% of the total honey production of the state of São Paulo and 65% the production of Espírito Santo.
In all, 67 associations participated in the project. In 2016, of the 1,600 tons of honey produced, 500 tons were exported. In addition, the first honey productions of native bees on a commercial scale were carried out, mainly by the Indigenous tribes in Espírito Santo.
with Unileste, in Três Lagoas (Mato Grosso do Sul).
Photo: Márcio Schimming.