A group of women farmers in the Sawla District of the Savannah Region has received training in beekeeping as an alternative livelihood aimed at reducing the indiscriminate felling of trees for charcoal and firewood.
The initiative is being implemented under the Direct Beneficiary Grant (DBG) of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) through its Forest and Farm Facility (FFF).
The project is also intended to raise awareness among women about the effects of climate change and promote sustainable livelihoods while protecting the environment.
Project Coordinator of the Beekeeping Initiative, Manfred Vem Nakaar, said the programme includes the establishment of a nursery for indigenous tree species such as shea and baobab, reclamation of degraded lands and restoration of damaged landscapes.
He said beehives were also being constructed for the women to enable them to venture into honey production as a sustainable source of income.
According to him, the intervention seeks to reduce dependence on charcoal burning and firewood, which have become important sources of income for many women in the area, particularly during the off-season.
Mr Nakaar explained that the project was in its final stages and focused on supporting a cooperative of women farmers engaged in production and marketing.
Under the theme, “Bees Are Partners in Development – Women Bee Keepers’ Voice,” the initiative is expected to improve the livelihoods of participating women while contributing to environmental conservation.
A consultant and retired lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Dr Jacob Abubakari, described the FAO intervention as timely, saying it could help address both poverty and environmental degradation in the Savannah Region.
He noted that economic hardship had compelled some women to depend on charcoal production and firewood harvesting for their livelihoods, contributing to deforestation and the destruction of crops and wildlife habitats.
Dr Abubakari expressed optimism that income from honey production and sales would provide the beneficiaries with a more sustainable source of livelihood.
He said the additional income could help the women support their children’s education and reduce their reliance on environmentally harmful activities such as charcoal burning and bush burning.
One of the beneficiaries, Margaret Dakuri of the Kantibagado Women’s Group in Tuna, expressed gratitude to the FAO for the intervention.
She said the training had equipped the women with skills in beekeeping and honey harvesting, which she believed would help improve their incomes and enable them to meet household needs, including their children’s education.
Ms Dakuri said the initiative had given the women renewed hope for a sustainable future beyond dependence on charcoal and firewood, while encouraging them to contribute to the protection of their environment.
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