Copyright © 2011 by the author(s). Published here under license by the Resilience Alliance.

Ingram, V., and J. Njikeu. 2011. Sweet, sticky, and sustainable social business. Ecology and Society 16(1):
37. [online] URL: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss1/art37/

Perspective, part of a Special Feature on The Science and Practice of Ecology and Society
Sweet, Sticky, and Sustainable Social Business

Verina Ingram 1,2 and Justin Njikeu 3,4

ABSTRACT. African forest–based beekeeping has a long tradition, has been practiced in Cameroon for
centuries, and contributes on average to 52% of household incomes of beekeepers in the Adamaoua savannah
and Northwest montane forests. Livelihoods, regulatory and policy framework, business environment, and
forest management are intricately linked in the chain from beekeeper to consumer. However, it has not
been a route out of poverty; despite support, the majority of beekeepers subsist on $2 a day. An energetic,
innovative, and entrepreneurial group named Guiding Hope is leading a new wave of indigenous social
entrepreneurs revitalizing the apiculture sector with the aim of improving this situation. The story of how
they developed, the challenges faced, and how they have translated multidisciplinary scientific findings
into action is recounted. The combination of participatory action research, a value chain approach,
monitoring, and learning from traditional knowledge has lead to positive societal and ecological benefits
that extend from Cameroon to an international level.

Key Words: apiculture; Cameroon; nontimber forest products (NTFPs); poverty; value chain

INTRODUCTION social entrepreneurs revitalizing the sector. Their

aim is to improve the livelihoods of beekeepers, the
"Beekeepers of Cameroon, let's rise and build management of the forests upon which they depend,
together" were the welcoming words uttered by and the institutional and regulatory framework in
Ousmanou Bardé, a beekeeper and new honorary which beekeeping in Cameroon is framed. The story
president of the first National Gathering of the of how they developed, the challenges faced, and
Beekeepers of Cameroon in August 2010. His how they have translated multidisciplinary
surprise and delight at seeing nearly 100 beekeepers scientific findings, ranging from anthropology,
from all the regions of Cameroon gathered in the business, development, forestry, agroforestry,
red earth and savannah fringed town of Ngaoundal botany, and apiculture, into practice is recounted
was visible. Some beekeepers had traveled for here. This has lead to positive benefits for both
nearly two days, on hot trains and packed into society and ecology in Cameroon, with far-reaching
overcrowded vans amidst chickens and children, international implications.
dodging roadblocks and muddy potholes to attend
the meeting organized by apiculture enterprise
Guiding Hope. The gathering aimed to kick-start a THE APICULTURE SECTOR IN
platform of all actors in the chain from beekeeper, CAMEROON
processer to harvester, retailer and exporter,
focusing on developing the Cameroonian Apiculture products such as honey, wax, and
beekeeping sector, solving problems, and creating propolis are all nontimber forest products (NTFPs)
opportunities. of animal origin. In Cameroon, honey is
predominately used as a high energy food. It is
Guiding Hope is an organization linking several valued as a treatment for coughs, skin infections,
parts of the apiculture chain in Cameroon: a young, and burns, and if sold provides a important source
energetic, innovative, and entrepreneurial group of cash income. It also has a cultural value in
that is at the forefront of a new wave of indigenous traditional ceremonies and as a gift in the West,

1
Centre for International Forestry Research, 2University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 3PAELLA-E Cameroun, 4Institut de Théologie Protestante de
Ndoungué
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Southwest, and Northwest regions, and the humid in the Anglophone zone. These organized groups
forest zone for the Baka ethnic group. Wax is used have existed on average for 5 years, indicating that
to manufacture candles and in cosmetics and the sector is stable and established but also growing.
pharmaceuticals, particularly for its hydrating and The numbers of hives per beekeeper also varies
emulsifying properties. Traditional craftspeople widely per region: the average is 11, ranging from
and metalworkers also use wax to create moulds. 45 in Adamaoua, 16 in the Northwest, to 3 in the
Propolis has high medicinal value, is used in Southwest and West. Average annual honey
traditional medicines, and is increasingly in demand production per hive in 2009 was 12.5 liters in the
by European and American pharmaceutical Northwest and 10.5 liters in Adamaoua. This could
companies. These multiple use hive products, both provide an income per hive, if all by-products are
in their raw and processed state, are traded locally, sold, of about 26,250 FCFA annually, based on an
nationally, and internationally with export and average honey production of 12.5 liters at a retail
national markets opening up and changing price of 1500 FCFA per liter for earnings of 18,750
dramatically in the last five years. Beekeeping can FCFA, 2 kg of wax worth 5000 FCFA, and 0.5 kg
contribute to environmental integrity because some of propolis worth 2500 FCFA. The majority of
beekeepers protect the forest to ensure their beekeepers, however, harvest only the honey and
harvests, meaning that beekeeping can and has been throw away other hive products. An average Oku
used to support forest conservation initiatives. This and Belo beekeeper’s annual income from
has led to the promotion of bee farming as a apiculture was 281,000 FCFA in 2007. Calculating
conservation positive activity in Cameroon as all associated costs, the average profit was 29,760
elsewhere; it is supposed to inhibit forest clearance, FCFA. In Ngaoundal, average annual income from
protect and aid the management of forests, and apiculture in 2007 was 207,000 FCFA, representing
provide vital pollination services for forest 43% of total household income. A liter of honey
ecosystems and agriculture (Nurse et al. 1995, from a producer in Adamaoua sells for at least 250
Hausser and Mpuya 2004, Timmer and Juma 2005, FCFA and is resold for between 1500 FCFA and
Brown 2006, Biovision 2007, Russell 2008). 2500 FCFA in the cities. The producer selling price
in the Northwest is higher, about 1000 to 1500
In Cameroon, the principal production zones are FCFA, because of the lower quantities, larger
Adamaoua, producing more than 3.3 million liters customer base, and higher market demand. This
annually, valued at around 2 billion Central African appears to be a major inflation of price and profit,
Francs (FCFA). At least 92,843 liters originate from however, margins include transport, storage,
the English speaking Northwest Region, and 48,900 packing, and sales costs, with intermediaries
liters are produced in the West Region (Fig. 1). bearing the risks of storing and selling honey. A
About 235 tons of wax was produced in 2006, small proportion of the harvest (2% to 10% in the
primarily for export within Central Africa, with an Northwest and less than 2% in Adamaoua) is
estimated value of 530 million FCFA. The largest consumed by beekeepers; most honey produced in
wax production zone is in the francophone Cameroon until the present is sold in local markets.
Adamaoua region, concentrated in Djerem division; An unknown quantity of honey is exported from
it is also produced in smaller quantities in the Adamaoua to adjacent countries in Central Africa
Northwest around Bui, Belo, and Mezam divisions, and the Middle East. In 2010, for the first time, 22
in the Southwest in Kupe division, and in the West tons of certified organic and ethical trade honey was
in Mifi division. Other apiculture products added exported to Europe. The higher quality yellow wax,
about 1.5 million FCFA to total revenues per year. as opposed to black and smoky wax that is cheaper
In the humid forest zone, honey is mostly harvested and easier to make in large quantities, sells for about
from the wild, with little beekeeping practiced. On 2500 FCFA per kilo. Propolis prices range between
average a beekeeper has at least 5 years of 4500 and 10,000 FCFA a kilo, but this is often only
experience, up to the most experienced at 40 years. available in small quantities and used mainly by
It is estimated that there were at least 20,000 traditional medicine healers. Less than 30 kg is
beekeepers in Cameroon in 2009 (Republic of exported annually.
Cameroon 2008). More than 8600 beekeepers were
known to be members of 639 Common Initiative Cameroon is a lower middle income, poor country
Groups, cooperatives, or nongovernmental organizations with an extremely difficult business context in
in 2008. There is, however, a great variation in the which to operate, illustrated by its consistent
level of collective action, with most groups located ranking as one of the most corrupt countries in the
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Fig. 1. Map of main production zones

world (141 out of 180) in 2008 (Transparency PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH

International 2009a) with high levels of bribery and
corruption in public institutions (Transparency Guiding Hope and their partners have used a
International 2009b). Cameroon has limited combination of participatory action research, a
financial infrastructure, lengthy and long-winded value chain approach (Appendix 1), and monitoring
procedures for opening bank accounts and creating as their main analytical concepts, combined with
companies, and extortionate taxes on imports and learning from indigenous and traditional beekeeping
exports. It performs poorly in creating an enabling practices. These form the basis of their, and many
environment for business, rating 171 out of 181 of their partners’, actions and interventions in the
countries (World Bank 2009), highlighting how apiculture sector.
complicated it is to start and maintain a business.
There were no regulations at all concerning Participatory action research (PAR) is an eclectic
apiculture or hive product standards or quality, and dynamic field with deep, multidisciplinary roots
production and processing, imports or exports up to but with new, evolving developments (Sithole
2007. 2002). It is based on a continuous cycle of
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systematic planning, taking action, observing, Guiding Hope’s philosophy of ongoing monitoring
evaluating, including self-evaluation, and reflecting is founded in their experience of observation,
prior to commencing the next cycle (Greenwood monitoring, and reflection from two disciplines:
and Morten 1998, Wadsworth 1998). It is a anthropology (Bernard 2006) and management
collaborative method to test new ideas and sciences (Gasper 2000, de Boer 2001). Monitoring
implement action for change and involves direct is a systematic, continuous assessment of data
participation in a dynamic research process, while related to a project or activity in relation to an agreed
monitoring and evaluating the effects of the schedule, including the targets, inputs, infrastructure,
researcher's actions with the aim of improving services, and outputs of a project or activity, by
practice. The core of PAR is to increase beneficiaries or the organization itself. It is a
understanding of how change in actions or practices management tool whose objective is to provide
can mutually benefit a community of practitioners continuous feedback on implementation and to
(Carr and Kemmis 1986, Reason and Bradbury identify actual or potential successes and problems
2001). The research aspect of PAR attempts to avoid as early as possible to facilitate timely adjustments
traditional extractive research where so-called to the activity. Tools include logical framework
experts go to a community, study their subjects, and analysis, which sets criteria and indicators, and
take away their data to write findings, often giving baseline states. Case studies, surveys, and
little back, having little impact and even less questionnaires can be used to collect data.
accountability to the research subjects (Shanley
2009, Shanley and López 2009). Research in the A monitoring framework approach was first
PAR method is, therefore, ideally by and for the stimulated when Guiding Hope became one of the
local people, designed to address specific issues 2008 SEED Initiative ‘Supporting Entrepreneurs in
identified by these local people, with the results Sustainable Development’ winners, which promotes
directly applied to the problems. Outcomes are and supports an assessment of development through
difficult to predict initially, challenges can be partnership monitoring. This is a tool that oversees
sizeable, and achievements depend on the and considers the dynamics of partnerships through
commitment, creativity, and imagination of the different stages and strategically supports the
researchers and the target community, in this case initiation, design, implementation, and further
the beekeepers under the umbrella of Guiding Hope development of partnerships. Ultimately it reflects
and stakeholders in the value chains. The actions the progress of a partnership toward achieving its
taken aim to address identified problems. In economic, social, and environmental goals. SEED’s
Cameroon, problems were first identified in 1989 approach draws on their experience in actively
(Paterson 1989) for the Northwest honey sector, and supporting entrepreneurial partnership projects for
then from 2006 to 2008 were addressed as part of sustainability, providing guidelines to enable better
local, regional, and national problem solving overall planning, ignite potential advocacy, and
workshops and situation analysis meetings, largely provide internal and external motivation to promote
lead or supported by the nongovernmental more effective implementation. Partnership
Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) in monitoring is understood as the ability of
collaboration with local beekeeping and apiculture stakeholders to self monitor different areas of
producer organizations (Erasmus et al. 2006, performance and internal processes, encouraging
Anembom Consulting 2008, Cohen 2008, Niba Fon transparency and accountability, defining inputs,
2009). These analyses were then used to develop outputs, and outcomes and evaluating results. This
interventions, feed discussions, stimulate actions, enhances the partners’ ability to (re)define new
and act as intervention pathways for multiple actors problems, tackle new issues, revise assumptions,
in the chain to stimulate change, provide and further develop their strategies. Eight critical
benchmarks to aid monitoring and reflection, and success factors are used to assess four key
seek support of other partners for the chosen performance areas of sustainability (SEED 2010a,
pathways. A PAR approach that combines both SEED 2010b). Two further grants, from the World
science and capacity building was also adopted Bank and United Nations Development Program
when the author, a former SNV adviser, joined Global Environmental Facility, also used both
Guiding Hope to pursue her doctorate, agreeing with technical and financial logical frameworks to
the team that PAR represented a valuable learning measure the progress of reaching objectives, and
framework for their collaboration. although not always easy to do, further internalized
the value of monitoring for Guiding Hope.
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Another tenet of Guiding Hope is to use and learn headed to Cameroon for an internship with a
from indigenous knowledge and traditional coalition of human rights and capacity building
practices. This springs from the long history of nongovernmental organizations. Through them she
traditional beekeepers, compared with the short- met beekeepers in Ngaoundal, Adamaoua, the
lived results observed after the implementation of sparsely populated central savannah region of
“modern beekeeping” practices. This observation is Cameroon, which she adopted as the subject for her
supported by academic research that has master’s thesis (Howard 2005). She learned how
demonstrated the strengths and often efficacy of cultures and collective action work in practice and
indigenous and traditional knowledge-based forest about the factors that influence success and failure
practices that have sustained livelihoods, cultures, when nonindigenous and external cultures meet.
forest, and agricultural resources of local and One influential person she met was Adamaoua’s
indigenous communities throughout Africa for biggest honey and beeswax trader, Paul Mboui, a
millennia. Such knowledge is tightly interwoven native of Djerem. He had been slowly but surely
with traditional religious beliefs, customs, folklore, trading tons of honey and beeswax to buyers in ever
land use practices, and local decision making increasing quantities to neighboring countries
processes that have historically been dynamic, Nigeria and the Central African Republic for the last
responding to changing environmental, social, decade. His ambition is concrete and local, to export
economic, and political conditions to ensure the directly and profitably to international markets and
continued provision of tangible and intangible forest feed his growing family.
resources. Despite their importance and contribution
to rural and urban livelihoods, traditional forest On returning back to Britain, full of enthusiasm for
related knowledge and practices are under pressure the honey business, Howard started working with
in most African countries, as elsewhere worldwide. Tropical Forest Products, the only British importer
Reasons include imbalanced power relations of African honey. As marketing officer, she learned
between the state, local, and indigenous the trade and gained hands-on experience.
communities whose governance systems are often
conflicting or contradictory, and the erosion and
decline of traditional knowledge and practices and A business opportunity
interest in them, particularly among younger
generations. The negative effect of this loss of In 2005, SNV in Cameroon started taking an interest
traditional and indigenous knowledge on in developing the honey sector following a poll with
livelihoods, cultural and biological diversity, and local forest conservation and development
the capacity of forested landscapes to provide organizations, a group called the Western Highlands
environmental goods and services remains poorly Conservation Network (WHINCONET). This
understood, largely unappreciated, and undervalued identified honey as one of the top forest products in
by policy makers and the general public in most the Northwest of Cameroon and led SNV to
countries (Parrotta et al. 2008, Mala 2009). In commission a market study of the sector because
apiculture specifically, it is also increasingly little data could be found on the value chain. The
understood that Western or European beekeeping anthropologist joined with like-minded friends from
practices introduced to developing and tropical Ngaoundal and Yaoundé to produce the winning bid
countries may not be either the most efficient, for this study: Yves Soukontoua, a PhD candidate
effective, or economically sound approach in nutrition at the University of Ngaoundéré,
(Paterson 2000, Lowore and Bradbear 2009, providing a professional and scientific rigorousness
Husselman et al. 2010) and that traditional practices to the team; Hermann Tchamba, who had been
can have many tried and tested benefits selling honey in Yaoundé and had practical
(Wainwright 1991, Endalamaw and Wiersum experience in selling and logistics; and a young
2008). Cameroonian entrepreneur Michael Tchana, who
was keen to put his Master of Arts in Peace and
Development Studies into practice as well as
RESULTS finance his studies.

The sweet and sticky story that became Guiding Guiding Hope was excited by the gap it noticed
Hope begins in 2003, when Rebecca Howard, a while doing the market study; it saw an opportunity
young and innocent British anthropology student, to channel the huge stockpiles of beeswax
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discovered in remote corners of the Northwest, to The local connections and knowledge of the team,
improve the quantity of the hundreds of tons of international links, shared vision, and collaboration
smoky, black wax produced in Adamaoua, and to that emerged during the market study were enough
sell the thousands of tons of honey produced to fuel the launch of Guiding Hope. The group was
annually there to new markets far from the saturated legalized in April 2007 with four members:
ones about which the beekeepers in the main Michael, Rebecca, Hermann, and Yves. The aim
production areas complain. Potential European was to create a marketing structure linking
markets also appeared to be begging for pure and beekeeping producer communities to sell to the
organic apiculture products. This conflux of factors international market. Initially Guiding Hope
captured the attention of Michael, who decided to worked in partnership with Paul, the local honey
make Guiding Hope the subject of his final thesis and beeswax trader, and as trust was built up, he
on how beekeeping organizations in Cameroon became the fifth member as production director. The
react to the problems of ethics, fair trade, and sixth and final member had a different and special
sustainable development (Tchana 2010). In doing status. Verina Ingram had been working in an
so, he initiated studies on the socioeconomic and advisory and capacity-building role in natural
health aspects of the beekeeping communities, resource management with SNV in Cameroon from
which are also instrumental in setting a baseline to 2004 to 2008. In June 2008, inspired by this dynamic
measure and monitor the progress and impacts of starter enterprise, she began collaborating with
Guiding Hope’s activities. Guiding Hope as environment and marketing
director, while starting her doctorate with the Centre
for International Forest Research (CIFOR) and the
The birth of Guiding Hope University of Amsterdam, on the sustainability and
governance of nontimber forest chains in the Congo
By September 2006, the anthropologist was drawn Basin. They agreed that she take an advisory role as
back to Cameroon armed with rapidly gained part of active participatory research for her PhD.
experience in the international honey market, the The idea that Guiding Hope could learn from a value
importers expression of interest in new African chain approach excited the team, because they saw
honey sources, and a strong conviction that their enterprise as one key actor in African
something different and more sustainable could be apiculture chains. Thus, drawn together by
done to improve the lives of the beekeeping friendship, fortuitous meetings, academic ambitions,
community and their environment. She started the desire to innovate, and to be a positive example,
volunteering for the Voluntary Service Overseas the team was complete.
(VSO) that was supporting the Djerem Honey
Union in Ngaoundal to develop the honey value
chain and strengthen the beekeeper associations. From vision to action
She was excited to be VSO beekeeping
‘missionary’, spreading the beekeeping development Guiding Hope’s vision solidified and enlarged in
modernization mantra of new hives resulting in the next year. Their aim was to sell to regional
better lives. This was an (in)famous mission in the markets; to diversify products, which is critical to
beekeeping world, to try to transform beekeepers, diversify beekeeper incomes and iron out wide price
who have learned apiculture skills from their fluctuations; to involve marginalized groups in the
grandparents’ grandparents and can produce communities such as women and youths who have
hundreds of hives from only local materials at little fewer opportunities to earn cash and develop
cost, into ‘modern’ and ‘professional’ beekeepers, businesses; to increase awareness of the
requiring heavy financial investment and a new set environmental aspects of apiculture and work with
of skills, and transforming needs to be externally the communities on forest protection, regeneration,
focused and driven. She learned that this inevitably and sustainable methods of production; and to
resulted in beekeepers hoping and expecting that all combine this with a much needed community-led
solutions come from ‘outside’ and not being locally and determined development approach so that
driven or determined. One such apparent solution beekeeping families guide their own development,
seemed to turn up in the form of aid from a donor and address pressing problems of the lack of potable
partner to develop the Djerem Union. However, water, health care, and education (Soukontana et al.
unfortunately 60% of the funds were pocketed by 2007). Focusing on more profitable markets means
the ‘partner’, dashing the beekeepers hopes and that prices can reflect the true value of forest and
creating skepticism about external support. products, and stresses the need to protect this source
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of the value chain. These forests, however, are as a profile of Cameroon honeys, and a business
threatened by a combination of climate change, i.e., orientated technical data sheet. A national
increasing desertification and unpredictable marketing campaign, using both this indigenous and
climatic events with resulting pests, and human scientific knowledge, is currently being prepared to
factors, including bush fires created by grazers, inform, educate, and titillate consumers on the
agricultural expansion, and felling trees for fuel qualities, benefits, and uses of apiculture products.
wood, which is increasingly used to melt beeswax. Yves’ biochemical scientific background is put to
Ironically the species most valued for fuel, Kofia good use as he introduces the concept of testing all
(Lophira lanceolota) and Kea (Daniella oliveri), are the groups’ apiculture products so that the physical,
also most prized for bee forage. Kofia also produces chemical, microbiological, and nutritional qualities
a rich medicinal and cosmetic oil which can be used can also be used as unique selling points in
in honey/wax-based soaps and cosmetics. Local marketing and to assure consumers, buyers, and
resources used to build hives such as raffia (Raphia government authorities and inspectors of quality.
mambilenses and other Raphia spp.), bamboo
(Oxytenanthera abyssinica), and rattan (Laccosperma
laeve and L. Secundiflorum) are all multiple-use Challenging and sticky beginnings
species in high demand and decreasing availability,
leading to a vicious circle of long-term degrading When Guiding Hope started to inquire about the
of resources and livelihoods. Verina and Michael’s regulatory and political framework for apiculture,
science-based approaches to developing a it soon became clear this was a void which offered
sustainable business and value chain meant that the both potential but also frustrations. The gap meant
first step was an environmental and social impact the group was open to the vagaries of government
assessment of Guiding Hope’s current and proposed officials, international development organizations,
operations to determine how this circle could be and donors who all knew best how to complete the
broken, and then work with groups to verify this and framework but often not based on any experience
promote local knowledge of forest regeneration and or taking a value chain perspective, keeping
community environmental awareness. Partners in beekeepers livelihoods in mind. These actors at
the Northwest such as Belo Rural Development times proposed unsustainable notions for
Project (BERUDEP), the Apiary and Nature developing the sector, incompatible with local
Conservation Organisation (ANCO), North West conditions, despite increasing calls from both the
Honey Cooperative (HONCO), and Oku Honey scientific and apiculture sector that a ‘modern’
Cooperative already had experience in managing beekeeping and production orientated approach is
similar environmental concerns, and so were linked unnecessary or even detrimental (Bradbear 2004,
to the Ngaoundal beekeepers to exchange traditional Bees for Development 2006, Bees for Development
knowledge and practice. Scientific institutions such 2008, Lowore and Bradbear 2009). However,
as CIFOR and the World Agroforestry Centre, and backed by supportive partners who did share their
development organizations such as SNV, were also philosophy, Guiding Hope surmounted business
used to gain knowledge of agroforestry, administrative, regulatory, and logistical hurdles
regeneration techniques, and forest regeneration and cultural barriers one by one, and by October
approaches. This resulted in projects awarded by 2007 the first container of beeswax was exported.
UNDP and the World Bank to address these issues This marked an important milestone in the
and assessments of the botanic sources of hive consolidation of relations between Guiding Hope
products, supported by pollen analysis, which and the British importer. Until then, relations had
provided a unique angle that Guiding Hope can use been held together by the anthropologist,
to market honey and propolis. This is particularly exchanging the problems and fears of the start-up
important because many Cameroonian consumers Guiding Hope enterprise with advice from the 20-
are unaware that the vast range of different colors, year-old small company. This relationship also
flavors, and consistencies of honey and propolis and allowed Tropical Forest Product’s long experience
their medicinal properties are determined by the with the organic and fair trade honey market in
origin of bee forage. These data have subsequently Zambia (Wainwright 1991) to be optimized in
been channeled back into scientific articles (Fohou Cameroon. Partners also shared what they had
et al. 2010) through conferences (Kosalec et al. learned from other African countries; SNV was also
2010; V. Ingram, M. Zovko Koncic, I. Kosalec, active in capacity development of the Zambian
unpublished manuscript), public information such honey sector and CIFOR was researching apiculture
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chains there, ensuring a fruitful four-way exchange experiences from the high volume Ngaoundal
of research results, practical experiences, and production zone and forest management techniques
trading tips. Although the business and cultural from the highly biodiverse and threatened montane
environment make the Cameroonian situation very forests during two exchange visits to the Northwest,
different from the importers’ experiences in Zambia along with knowledge gained from the doctorate
and elsewhere in Africa, similar problems emerge, study and links with SNV. Learning from the
such as organizing beekeepers but maintaining their Northwest practices such as high quality, low
cultural practices and values. volume processing, their emerging and larger range
of by-products, and higher levels of organized
groups for production and marketing has been
Producer foundations highly educative. Also important has been the
sharing of problems faced by both areas. For
Meanwhile, the foundations were being laid with example, the Northwest has much higher rates of
1200 or so beekeepers around the major honey deforestation and conflicting land use, and more
producing area of Djerem. These groups were experience with research, conservation, and
selected by Guiding Hope because they are dynamic development organizations proposing solutions to
and hardworking, and ready to believe that the these problems. A scientifically based analysis of
young enterprise will turn its words into action. That how the value chains in the two regions work and
is, Guiding Hope provides training, builds comparisons with chains in Zambia and Congo (F.
appropriate honey storage centers, and buys honey, Paumgarten and V. Ingram, unpublished manuscript)
wax, and propolis at stable and higher-than-market provided a good basis to solidify links and develop
prices. A socioeconomic study carried out by a relationship between three producer cooperatives
Guiding Hope’s partner Support Programme for in the Bamenda Highlands with Guiding Hope and
Local Experiences of Self Employment (PAELLA- beekeepers from the Ngaoundal villages. It has also
E) had determined that the major problem with the lead to links with support and network organizations
existing market was unreliability of buyers and like Apitrade Africa, which also works in Zambia.
prices that change roughly every two weeks during
the honey season (Soukontoua et al. 2007). A value
chain analysis further uncovered a widespread Weighty bits of paper
spider’s web of beekeepers with hives dotted most
of the way across the 63,000 km² region of Although the goal to export honey to the European
Adamaoua. Also discovered were hundreds of Union had been set and initial contracts discussed,
‘buyam sellam’ (the pidgin term for buyers, sellers, this remained theoretical until October 2009
wholesalers, and intermediary traders) out on the (European Commission 2009) because Cameroon
attack to gain a small margin on honey bought from first needed to join the list of eligible countries
the village and delivered to the town by a set of recognized by the European Commission to export
clandestine transporters carrying sacks of honey in honey free of contaminants. Getting on the list
over-laden cars, barely fit for the bumpy roads, required a concerted effort by the government and
communicating either by very patchy phone Guiding Hope. Normally in countries where
network coverage, or otherwise simply by word of apiculture is a minority industry tucked away in the
mouth. The analysis enabled intervention areas, corner with no one in particular responsible for it
value addition opportunities, and inefficiencies to and little or no budget to develop it, this can take a
be identified. very long time to happen. In Cameroon, things were
pushed forward by an impatient Guiding Hope,
While starting with the Adamaoua beekeepers, supported from the sidelines by United Nations
Guiding Hope maintained their contacts with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and
Northwest beekeepers who had originally SNV. Eventually the government took up the
stimulated their vision. Because it takes over two challenge and appointed a qualified official to
days via atrocious roads to go from one area to the supervise the dossier, be responsible for beekeeping
other, with costs, language, and transport issues in Cameroon, and generally develop the sector. By
presenting barriers initially more insurmountable November 2009 Cameroon had its own functioning
than the mountains crossed, upscaling activities in EU approved Honey Residue Monitoring Scheme
both regions at the same time was not possible. and in 2010 was also authorized to export wax for
Instead, the route taken was to exchange hive frames. Guiding Hope to date is the only
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registered Cameroonian enterprise and only To gain the economies of scale needed to make this
exporter, but is likely to be followed by two more social-ethical model of apiculture production
enterprises in 2011, because it has been instrumental profitable, an unprecedented level of organization,
in setting up and leading the Cameroon Union of collective action, and quality control is needed.
Apiculture Exporters, and the network of Guiding Hope, therefore, introduced a system of
organizations known as the Inter-Profession (a registering beekeepers and wax suppliers, providing
chain wide platform organization), many of who training and signing contracts (a novel concept),
attended the 2010 National Gathering. This network building collection centers designed to ensure safe
covers the whole value chain and, critically, given and appropriate storage of hive products managed
the business environment, is supported by the by staff selected from the beekeeping groups. The
government; regulations are now being created. system is controlled primarily by Mami Congossa
(Mami is a term of respect for a mother, Congossa
Similarly, the potential high-value markets is a Cameroonian term for gossip), also known as
identified by Guiding Hope require organic Aminatou Hamoa. She is a single mother and head
certification of products, producers, and processors. of her large family since the death of her beekeeper
A bright yellow wax is also required instead of the father, who is entranced by the vision of Guiding
traditionally produced smoky, black wax (Fig. 2). Hope and who has developed an attachment to the
Logically, there is no risk of contamination by group. Her job it is to turn up by surprise in the
pesticides, fertilizers, or other chemical products in village collection centers, listen to and observe
the vast expanses of sparsely populated savannah everything going on, and then report it to Guiding
and montane forests. Bee husbandry is also at the Hope. Women are usually shushed by their
opposite end of the scale from the highly husbands and expected to sit either outside the
commercial beekeeping carried out in Europe and meeting room, listening through the walls, or to sit
high volume exporters such as China and Argentina, at the very back of the room and keep quiet unless
where the bees are regularly fed with sugar and they’re spoken to, but Mami Congossa is an
treated with medicines, which is the reason the outstandingly courageous young woman who is
residue monitoring standards of the European confident enough to sit with the male beekeepers,
Commission were developed. However, the and discover the truths that a formal inspector would
challenge is to prove this and to introduce product not uncover. She also engages with the women,
traceability and internal control in a predominantly showing and encouraging them to try producing
illiterate context where almost all commercial candles, body creams, and wax-based soaps to
transactions are carried out using mental arithmetic diversify their income sources and add value to the
and where the ‘client’ and ‘supplier’ are known as hive products. At the same time, she learns from
Grand frére (big brother) and Petit frére (little their local knowledge of the forest and plants and
brother), an informal and trust-based relationship their needs and opportunities, and feeds this back to
that mistrusts formalization. The sustainable the group.
business philosophy of Guiding Hope also requires
changing wax production methods to a more
environmentally friendly, low impact system, not Making real progress
based on fuel wood, with the double aim of
producing the cleaner yellow wax (Fig. 3) on a large In 2010, Guiding Hope secured its third year running
scale. Despite the tropical climate, solar energy is of organic certification by the UK Soil Association,
currently too expensive and hi-tech an option to use has expanded from the European to also the North
as an energy source, and yet low-tech methods are American organic system, and has been certified
inefficient in melting and processing combs. under its Ethical Trade Scheme for the first time.
Therefore, a year long investigation and practical The Body Shop International, a huge international,
trial was started by Guiding Hope on fuel and water ethical trade producer of consumer products, after
efficient production methods, using a scientific a long and sometimes difficult process of
approach to evaluate results and compare with introducing procedures, sometimes with mutual
practices in other countries. This has been misunderstanding, has successfully registered
accompanied by a two year program of Guiding Hope to its own rigorous standard as
environmental education, tree planting, regeneration, ‘Community Trade Supplier.’ This means their
and community protection of the sources of energy honey and wax can now be found in Body Shop
and hive materials. shampoos, creams, and cosmetics worldwide. Up to
22 people are employed part-time and over 1200
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Fig. 2. Smoky black wax

beekeepers are affiliated in 32 villages around to pay to give birth in hospitals rather than the bush.
Ngaoundal, with three cooperatives being Six nurseries have been established and plots of
“preferred suppliers” in the Northwest. To date, raphia, native bamboo, and rattan are now
over 100 tons of wax and about 20 tons of honey established, acting as demonstration and pilot sites.
have been exported and twice that amount is sold Guiding Hope’s aim, to use sustainable but
locally in Cameroon, at prices up to 50% higher than profitable trading in apicultural products as a
normal market prices for the Ngaoundal beekeepers. catalyst for improving quality of life of the producer
Propolis is now being bought at a price double that communities, has started to be met. By providing
for a kilo of honey, with first year orders for over the missing link in the commercial chain, it is
100 kg from Europe and the USA. It used to be bringing hope to producers by engaging
thrown away. The beekeeping families are now transparently with them while providing the rigor
experimenting more and producing apiculture- and quality control required in accessing
based products such as candles, soaps, creams, and international high value markets and returning
honey wines (Fig. 4). Yves and Verina’s scientific profits to the community.
backgrounds are again being used as they research
product recipes and advise on marketing and The contribution of apiculture to livelihoods is
business development models to see what products gradually increasing; in the Northwest beekeeping
can be used and adapted locally to initiate new value is largely not a principal source of revenue but an
chains. Examples of the increases in beekeeper important secondary source. Incomes from
incomes are now apparent in the communities; they beekeeping contribute from 10% to 70% of total
range from purchasing a zinc roof for the house, to annual income (average 30%), with more than 80%
a motorbike to take products to market, more of beekeepers deriving 30% to 60% of their annual
children are going to school, and women can afford income from apiculture. In Adamaoua, where
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Fig. 3. Yellow wax

beekeeping is traditionally done by individuals or business philosophy and strategy. The group first
families and not as a collective activity, on average produced an ambitious business strategy in 2008
68% of households in Djerem are involved in that drew heavily on theoretical concepts such as
beekeeping. For 55% of these families it is their sustainable supply chains, value adding, sustainable
primary income source, providing up to 48% of total development community participation, and empowerment.
household income. Seasonal botanic variations Their internal yearly evaluations, projects, and
allow for two harvests in some years and wide annual audits by the UK Soil Association, an
flowering variations in alternating years, leading to inspection visit by The Body Shop and by venture
highs and lows of production in the savannah and capital organization Root Capital, together with
mountain forests annually. Weather changes also winning the SEED Award ‘Supporting Entrepreneurs
strongly influence the quality and quantity of in Sustainable Development’ in 2008 are critical in
production, resulting in extremely variable testing the transition from scientific theory to results
incomes. A second survey is planned for 2011 to in practice and initiating a culture of monitoring,
assess and monitor the socioeconomic impact in evaluation, learning, and action. Sometimes the
detail and see through the natural trends to assess group needed to go slow and to use an armory of
the effect on livelihoods of Guiding Hope’s actions. arguments and justifications to explain to partners
and certifiers why their concepts were either
inapplicable or impractical given the local context
DEVELOPING A GUIDING PHILOSOPHY: and used monitoring results as evidence. For
CONNECTING SCIENCE AND SOCIETY example, a classical development mantra is that
collective action brings multiple benefits. However,
Michael’s master’s thesis on ethical and sustainable the highly individualistic culture of the Gbaya, the
trade (Tchana 2010), Verina’s doctoral study on major ethnic group of the beekeepers in the Djerem
sustainable value chains (Ingram 2009, Ingram area, makes forming effective groups a challenge.
2010; V. Ingram, unpublished manuscript; V. In contrast, the Northwest producers are highly
Ingram, M. Zovko Koncic, I. Kosalec, unpublished organized, stemming from their traditional,
manuscript), Rebecca’s anthropological work hierarchical and intricate ruler and clan system.
(Howard 2005) on beekeeping groups’ cultures, and Working out ways to respect and retain the strengths
Yves’ ongoing biochemistry and nutrition research of the predominant culture, such as the authority of
all combined to strongly influence Guiding Hope’s traditional chiefs and the traditional grouping in
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Fig. 4. Women lead soap making

tontines in the face of partners, buyers, and financers CONCLUSIONS

was not always easy. A tontine is a small, informal,
social grouping based around mutual support of The story of Guiding Hope shows how only when
members, usually involving a regular, shared economic, environmental, and social values are
savings and loan or credit facility for group internalized by the value chain, combined with
members, and is one of the main grassroots types of ongoing profits accruing over a sustained period, do
financing systems in rural and urban areas in beekeepers make changes that positively affect both
Cameroon and Central Africa. Encouraging women ecology and society. These range from the practice
to join and create apiculture tontines resulted in their of actively managing their forests, to changing the
empowerment and has therefore met with mixed way they perceive, use, and process apiculture.
reception in different villages, until social Without the economic incentive, the majority of
innovators and Mami Congossa created change and beekeepers take a short-term view to exploiting their
acceptance. This approach was reinforced by the seemingly abundant natural forest and environmental
legalization of Guiding Hope and centered around resources, threatening the very resource upon which
two common themes that were sufficient to motivate they are dependent. Guiding Hope’s interventions
group formation: setting up and managing the aim to secure long-term product, process, and
microcredit savings groups and creating beekeeper- market sustainability, laying the foundations for
based football teams for a planned intervillage ‘wins’ in both livelihoods and conservation. Ethical
celebration of both football and beekeeping in 2011! business orientated interventions that have a
These groups reinforce beekeeper adhesion to multistakeholder and multidimensional focus on
Guiding Hope and act as an entry point for providing market arrangements and encompass the entire
training, information dissemination, and introducing value chain (see Appendix 1) with a holistic and
quality and traceability procedures. ethically based environmental-economic-socio-
institutional perspective, appear to have had a
greater success in moving toward both livelihood
and conservation objectives than the traditional
producer, conservation focused development
projects.
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The amalgamation of a new focus on quality and

marketing, adding value by locally processing an 6. Creating dedicated training centers for
increasing range of hive products for the local and beekeeping and processing.
national market, and high value, niche export
markets both regionally and internationally, plus the 7. Establishing processing activities for honey
attention to ensuring growth in production and and its by-products in the production zones
sustainability, sets a positive foundation for the that can help combat unemployment of youth,
continued development of the sector. Small and women, and rural people.
medium enterprises such as Guiding Hope are
driving this, setting their own and their affiliated 8. Maintain geographic and chain-wide
beekeepers agenda themselves and providing a representatives, multistakeholder, nation-
positive, guiding model for sustainable, small-scale, wide, and regional exchanges of information,
forest-based businesses. The contribution of and platforms to enable effective responses
apiculture to livelihoods of those in the main to the difficulties and opportunities within the
production zones is gradually increasing as sector.
opportunities grow. However, based on observations
and reports on the apiculture chains from 2006 to 9. Profiling of products and the sector.
date (unpublished report of the National Gathering
of the Beekeepers of Cameroon held 5 to 7 August 10. Development of legal/institutional frameworks
2010 in Ngaoundal, Adamaoua; unpublished report including initiatives for exporting hive
of the Netherlands Development Organisation held products and the development of national
June 1-2 2010 in Foumban, Cameroon), a number quality standards.
of outstanding actions remain to be completed to
ensure a sustainable apiculture chain and continued
progress, which include:

1. Creating a database and market information Responses to this article can be read online at:
system using media such as local radios, http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss1/art37/
responses/
newspapers, and mobile phones to understand,
support, and monitor the apiculture market
across the country and over time.
Acknowledgments:
2. Professionalizing the chain and developing
business skills. Merci beaucoup a GIC Guide d'Espoir. especially
Michael, Paul, Rebecca, Hermann, and Yves and
3. Researching the already noted impacts of Aminatou, the beekeepers in Adamaoua and in the
climatic change and its effects on beekeeping, Northwest: ANCO, HONCO, Oku Honey
the effects of using different hive types, and cooperative, and BERUDEP for sharing their
alternative management, harvest methods to inspiring story. Greatly appreciated were the
increase profits and decrease workloads. openness and collaboration from Dr. Benjamin
Mballa, Nassou Tsapa Gabriel, Guillaume Zamke
4. Ensuring dissemination of information on Sobze, and Bejuka Martin Anu at the Ministry of
designs and production of key beekeeping Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries; Julius
equipment, e.g., hives, harvesting clothes, Niba Fon and Micheal Vabi of SNV Cameroon and
smokers, filters, solar melters for wax, etc., Alfred Lounou of the Initiative for Farming and
to support local adaptation of technology and Urban Development. Financial support was
enable access to equipment. provided by CIFOR for data analysis, together the
European Commission funded GCP/RAF/408/EC
5. Research and action on apiculture development Project «Mobilisation et Renforcement des
and enhancing the apiculture market chain, Capacités des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises
particularly access to markets with a focus on Impliquées dans les Filières Des Produits Forestiers
packaging, labeling and branding, financing, Non Ligneux En Afrique Centrale», lead by the FAO
and exploring the potential in neighboring and especially to Ousseynou Ndoye, for data
countries, i.e., Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, collection in the Northwest. We commend Ecology
Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria.
 Ecology and Society 16(1): 37
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Fig. 5. Guiding the hope of beefarmers in Ngoundal. Collection center inauguration with village
suppliers, March 2009

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APPENDIX 1. Forest value chains

The term value chain is useful to understand the activities that bring a product from the forest, to
production and processing, through final delivery to consumers, and ultimately, disposal (Kaplinsky and
Morris 2000). Value chain analysis is a conceptual framework for mapping and categorizing the
economic, social, and also environmental processes, understanding how and where enterprises and
institutions are positioned in them, and identifying opportunities and possible leverage points for
improvement. It encompasses the organization, coordination, equity, power relationships, linkages, and
governance between organizations and actors.