AsiaLIFE

Good news travels fast as a honeybee. Vinh Dao reports on the positive changes happening in Mondulkiri.

Armed with a burning bundle of leaves and protected with a cloth mesh over his face, Kim Heng starts the dangerous climb up a chambok tree to collect honey from a hive 50 feet above him. He uses smoke to calm the wild honeybees swarming around his head and carefully removes a portion of the hive, leaving enough for future harvesting. A honey harvester since the age of 15, Heng is one of the participants of the Mondulkiri Wild Honey Project that was launched in 2007 by The World Wide Fund for Nature and Non-Timber Forest Product Exchange Programme (NTFP-EP) in conjunction with the Forest Administration and Ministry of Environment in Mondulkiri.

The project is part of a WWF initiative to promote and support NTFP-based community projects in Mondulkiri. The majority population in Mondulkiri, the Phnong lead a way of life highly dependent on diverse forest resources. However, with increased economic activities and land use changes, the provinces rich forest resources will be increasingly made vulnerable if not managed responsibly. The ethnic Phnong communities of Pu Chrey and Krang Teh were selected for the project due to their high reliance on honey as a source of income.

While other NTFPs such as rattan and resin are more profitable, the wild honey project is attractive due to its high sustainability coupled with lesser trade barriers for community collectors. “In this project, I can harvest 100 litres of honey in one season and sell at a higher price through the community centre.” says Heng.

Management of the honey resources has also improved the amount of honey collected. By mapping collection areas and tagging trees where honeybees nest, the members of the honey groups were able to monitor harvesting activities and identify bee trees that would serve as gene pools for maintaining the bee colonies.

The quality of the honey has also increased since the project started. Previously, the honey would be diluted with water and sugar to increase volume, which led to lower prices. By improving quality along with cooperating with technical service providers, the gate price of honey has doubled from 10,000 riel to 20,000 riel per litre.

“Previously an average of 8 litres of honey could be harvested from one hive. Using the sustainable method of taking a portion of honey and leaving the brood behind, they can harvest two, sometimes three times from the same hive" States WWF Community Extension Technical Advisor, Amy Maling.

It hasn’t always been easy sailing for the project. One initial hurdle was to get members to comply to sustainable harvesting methods. By explaining the economic benefits of sustainable harvesting as an incentive for community participation, the project was able to engage the community to comply to more responsible resource management, sustainable harvesting methods and proper product handling.

The villagers are now more active in joining the honey group activities, which include patrolling their community forest and reporting illegal activities to local authorities. Membership has also grown, with over 90 current honey group members from an initial five in 2007.

Because of the success in Mondulkiri, the project has expanded to other provinces and the NTFP-EP together with WWF and other NGOs are actively collaborating in organizing a national honey network for Cambodia to ensure higher supplies and to apply common quality standards. There are also discussions with the Ministry of Commerce to apply a Geographical Indication rating for the wild honey. A GI branding will not only increase prices for the honey but will also ensure quality control and protect branding.

You can find Mondulkiri Wild Honey in various markets and supermarkets in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Just look for the “Product of Mondulkiri, Cambodia” label.