While working as the Environmental Health and Safety Manager for a top hotel on the picturesque eastern Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, Richard Matthias received a call from the maintenance department: a swarm of bees had gathered at one of the restaurants. Richard contacted a local beekeeper, William ‘Vavan’ Antione, who showed up promptly with a small wooden box and captured the bees. As Vavan gently shook the buzzing insects inside the box, he told Richard to take them home, place the box in his yard, and give him a call in a fortnight.
“I spent the next two weeks watching the bees going in and out of that box every morning, and the rest is history.” – Richard Matthias, master beekeeper
Nearly 15 years later, Richard is now a master beekeeper and leading apiculture expert in the eastern Caribbean, playing a central role in the development of an industry that can help local communities and nature thrive in the region.
Abuzz About Bees
Beekeeping has been a traditional practice in the Caribbean for almost 200 years, but it declined at the end of the 20th century because of a general lack of support. Changes in weather and climate patterns, the increased use of toxic chemicals in the agricultural sector, and a loss of natural habitat and forage driven by urban development have also impacted the insects. Bees are increasingly under threat from human activities, despite being essential for ecosystem health and human well being, as they pollinate a range of trees, medicinal plants, and food crops. They contribute directly to global food security, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that one third of the world's food production depends on bees.
Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are particularly vulnerable to biodiversity loss and climate change, because they lack economically viable alternatives to tourism, fisheries and other activities that rely on healthy ecosystems. SIDS also face unique social and economic challenges due to their limited access to finance, remoteness from international markets, high transportation costs, dependence on imported goods, and vulnerability to external economic shocks and crises. As bees and biodiversity conservation go hand in hand, there is great potential for the apiculture industry to play a key role in building the resilience of SIDS by protecting nature while improving the livelihoods of local communities.
A Hive of Activity
Recognizing this, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has been supporting numerous beekeeping projects throughout the Caribbean for decades. In Saint Lucia, one of SGP’s first projects successfully revitalized a cooperative of honey producers. Over the years, the programme’s efforts in the country effectively revived the industry, contributing to an increase in honey production and beekeeper income, and led to the establishment of another four honey producers. One of them is the Iyanola Apiculture Collective (IAC), which is presided over by Richard.
“What I love the most about beekeeping is freedom. For me, apiculture is a journey in self-reliance and teamwork.” – Richard Matthias, master beekeeper