Create Ownership, Develop Entrepreneurship Honey hunting has been a popular activity throughout the apiculture history of Africa. The B.E.S.T.
Unfortunately, it is not sustainable because most people employ destructive methods of honey harvesting. Farmers do not tend to the bees regularly and will only approach colonies during the honey flow seasons. They force the bees out of the hives with abundant smoke and fire before collecting what remains in the hive. These practices misconceive the proper methods of handling bees and results in t
he loss of long-term productivity and profit. Honey is a product of great potential and we can harness the unique natural resource to generate income in Africa. Only when bee farmers learn the proper way to handle bees can this industry be sustained. Program at RSAF is about Bringing Ecology and Society Together. We develop and advocate a paradigm shift from destructive honey hunting to productive beekeeping. Underlying our philosophy is the recognition that apiculture can only be sustained when there is an ecological balance. Too many worthwhile beekeeping projects failed in Africa due to a misunderstanding of African bees and their behaviour. Beekeeping Basic Course at RSAF addresses these problems by teaching farmers appropriate methods of handling African honeybees, and enabling them to manage an apiary productively. Properly done, participants can aspire to produce honey that meets the European Union Honey Legislation requirements. At RSAF, we embraced the paradigm shift from destructive honey hunting to sustainable beekeeping.
