Beekeeping with Indigenous People in the Amazon

Maijuna beekeepers set out from their communities in the rainforest and journeyed two days to participate in Peru’s inaugural Stingless Beekeeping Conference this past July. Seven Maijuna beekeeping promoters, one elder knowledge keeper and I travelled to the mountainous city of Tarapoto. After years of successful beekeeping, these Maijuna were ready to share their story on the national stage and learn from the diverse experiences of other participants. 

All the Maijuna beekeepers were eager to contribute to our presentation during the conference, so we took the stage together! Between the nine of us, we shared the Maijuna ceremonial bee dance and presented a sampling of Maijuna ecological knowledge about the bees, the development of the stingless beekeeping school and the honey harvest. 

We heard from eminent scientists and dedicated beekeepers representing Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru who shared their insights on a wide range of topics, spanning agrochemicals’ impact on native bees, techniques for combating parasites and evidence that the Incas and previous Quechua cultures were stingless beekeepers!

Remarkably, following the Maijuna's presentation, each subsequent lecture for the next two days made specific mention of the Maijuna and their beekeeping skills. The Maijuna's profound knowledge and well-organized association made an indelible mark, earning them recognition as leaders in stingless beekeeping in the Peruvian Amazon.

During the event we learned how to make a medicinal extract from a resinous material bees produce, propolis, that is prized for its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties and for its amino acid composition. Seeing that many fellow “meliponicultores” focus on keeping different genera of bees inspired the Maijuna to diversify their hives to include other species that exist in the forest to increase production and harvest even more varied honeys.

The Maijuna beekeepers returned to their home communities and are already sharing the techniques that they learned with their neighbors. During the conference the Maijuna beekeepers celebrated their experience and achievements while learning that stingless bees provide many more opportunities and there is much yet to discover. Your support helps us to continue to grow the stingless beekeeping school!