Project Detail

Combating Deforestation while Generating Sustainable Livelihoods for the Dolphin Head Forest Reserve Communities

The project seeks to combat deforestation through the planting of trees (lumber/fruit) that will bring about more rainfall and a greener environment, ensure sustainable utilization of forest resources by expanding beekeeping activities which will reduce the need for chalk coal production and
increase economic activity which will lead to increase employment to include women and youth.
The project will plant and monitor approximately 2,000 seedlings (fruit and lumber) on 10 hectares of land in the targeted communities anchored by the Dolphin head Mountain. For sustainability the co-operative will try to reduce the bee mortality rate, support research, structure the development of the bee population and train young beekeepers. Also, the co-operative will continue to encourage High School students to participate in the tree planting project through their Environment and Agriculture Clubs and expand the programme of introducing beekeeping in more high schools within the parish. These activities, when achieved, will go a long way in reversing the effects of deforestation, provide economic benefits for the farmers and other persons through employment in the sector.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Hanover Bee Farmers Co-operative Society Limited

Country:

Jamaica

Area Of Work:

Land Degradation

Operational Phase:

OP6 - Y5 (Jul 19-Jun 20)

Grant Amount:

US$ 50,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 54,095.00

Project Number:

JAM/SGP/OP6/Y5/CORE/LD/2019/01

Start Date:

12/2019

End Date:

8/2021

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

As part of the project, the purchasing, processing and packaging of honey for sale both locally and for export will be engaged in.The main stakeholders of the co-operative are the bee farmers, sales and distribution outlets,consumers, packaging suppliers, other bee farmers among others.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

At the conclusion of the project, a full report will be produced, which will include all our implementation and evaluation efforts. We will also produce a video which will record interviews with the project leaders and members, discussing various aspects of the project, its goals and results. A sustainable Monitoring plan for maintenance will be developed. During the life of the project, a WhatsApp group will be created as a platform on which members can share ideas and experiences as well as airing their concerns and having them addressed by personnel from the Forestry Department, the Co-operative or the Beekeeping Unit. In addition, the Cooperative will explore with the Forestry Department, the possibility of becoming a Local Forest Management Committee.

Notable Community Participation

For sustainability the co-operative will try to reduce the bee mortality rate, support research, structure the development of the bee population and train young beekeepers. Also, the co-operative will continue to encourage High School students to participate in the tree planting project through their Environment and Agriculture Clubs and expand the programme of introducing beekeeping in more high schools within the parish. They will be members of the Steering Committee for the project. We will create spaces for them to express their opinions ? and listen to them. We will give them access to mentors that can hone their beekeeping and leadership skills. We will also try to identify training opportunities for them. Through partnerships with these mentors, youths will be able to demonstrate the benefits of their actions. These communication and collaboration channels will enable all parties to explore the common problems affecting the community and tackle them together, thus participating in the emergence of sustainable forest management. Also, the Cooperative will work with school to organize educational tours of apiaries and the honey bottling plant

Policy Impact

Gender Focus

The Hanover Bee Farmers' Co-operative Society Ltd. recognizes the importance of gender equity for economic growth, societal well-being and sustainable development. We already have women and men who are members, but we need more and so to increase our membership in both we will involve both women and men in many if not all, stages of the project, including design, implementation and evaluation. A Women?s? Empowerment Bee Farming Project will be established to address the discrepancies between males and females in the industry by educating and supporting women to become beekeepers.

Project sustainability

The group has put in place a sustainability plan for the continuation of the project activities. One of this activity is the current dialogue with JSIF to install two (2) 40ft container at the Bottling facility. One of the container is to store in-coming honey and the other is for bottled honey for the market. This initiative is for the continuation of the project. Twenty beneficiaries have been selected for further in Bee Farming at the Kenilworth Heart Academy, starting November 24, 2021. This will allow them to become better honey farmers and put them in a position to expand their production and businesses. All beneficiaries are required to sell at least 75% of their honey through the Hanover Bee Farmers Cooperative Society Ltd. Beneficiaries have signed a contract regarding such. Additionally, the group has made it easier for bee farmers to engage the Bureau of Standard Jamaica to to get their honey tested and certified for consumption.

Replication of project activities

The group is is currently receiving mentorship from CANARI through the regional IWECo project. Key area of focus is strengthening the group?s capacity to manage/sustain small and medium enterprise (SME) opportunities. The group also plans to see more grant funds to replicate the initiative in other communities with similar needs/challenges.

Policy Influence

This project directly influences the government policy for 2030, goal number 4 to make Jamaica a healthy natural environment.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

We will create a database, produce documents including reports. Knowledge capture in the past will be used to improve performance of the current project. We will establish a point of contact where all information will be disseminated to all stakeholders. A final report will be produced, highlighting all aspects of the project from conception to implementation and recommendations as to the way forward.

Capacity - Building Component

While building the awareness of the adverse effects of deforestation on human beings, community members will develop alternative economic activities. Community members will be trained in maintaining the forest reserves in furtherance of the National Development Plan 2030, Goal 3 which is "Jamaica's economy is prosperous and Goal 4 which is " Jamaica has a healthy natural environment". Training will also be done to reduction of bee mortality rates, by reducing the use of pesticides. Moreover, the bee population is sometimes affected by parasites and bacterial or viral infections. There will be a partnership with government veterinarians who will be on call to take care of these illnesses. Ongoing training of young beekeepers will be done and discussions held with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority and the HEART Trust/NTA, to explore the development of a professional training programme toprovide certification. Beekeepers will access gears through membership, new Beekeepers will be encouraged to purchase their own gears as the Cooperative will only be supplying the colonies of bees. The Co-operative was formed to assist members in training, the acquisition of gears and in marketing.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

not applicable

Project Results

The project engaged 42 of persons from 10 communities to participate in project activities. The activities of the project were well supported by community members especially in the tree planting exercise and preparing the land for the bee apiary.

Training workshops were conducted on Forest Management and Plant Husbandry, and Bee Keeping to
inform the community of the importance of forest/plant preservation and management. As a result
of these awareness activities, communities members were very excited about the tree planting
exercise and participated well in the activities.

1,500 seedlings were procured and distributed to community members. These included fruit and lumber. These were planted in 25 communities

90 colonies of Bee were procured and distributed to 18 community members across 10 communities.

Twenty-two (22) men benefitted greatly from the this project. Some were subsistence farmers and received fruits seedlings which will add another source of income once the trees mature. They also received raining in Plant Husbandry and Forest Management which increased their knowledge and and awareness of good environmental practices and crop production.

There were 20 women beneficiaries, most of whom were unemployed. They received
training in bee-keeping, received bee colonies, and are now active bee farmers. The partnership with
the group will see them having a direct market for at least 70% of their honey production ? selling to
the Hanover Bee Farmers? Cooperative Society.

The capacities of community members were significantly enhanced in a a lot of areas. Women who were previously unemployed are now active bee-keepers. Farmers and general community members have increased their awareness of proper and sustainable forest management, the importance of bees to the preservation of plant biodiversity, and have expanded their potential revenue stream through the planting of fruit trees. The project brought community members together to work towards a specific goal. This resulted in members strengthening their relationships with each other by working together and offering each other support. The relationship between the group and communities also
strengthened.

Through this project the group was able to address some of the environmental problems through reforestation as well as using land for livelihood activities such as beekeeping. The group also collaborated with another GEF SGP grantee through the Grantee Exchange Network where beneficiaries were taken on a site visit to the Sawyers Local Forest Management Committee Benevolent Society, to assess their apiary and learn more about beekeeping.

Twenty of the beneficiaries were selected to receive Level 1 certification in Apiculture (Bee-Keeping) at HEART Trust academy in St. James. This is a 12-week training course which started on January 05, 2022 and continues until March 2022. Training will be done 2 days per week and alternate Saturdays and Sundays for the practical component.

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Indicators

Empowerment

Number of CBOs / NGOs formed or registered through the SGP project 2

Empowerment

Number of women participated / involved in SGP project 20

Empowerment

Number and type of support linkages established with national government institutions 2

Biophysical

Hectares of land sustainably managed by project 10

Livehood

Number of households who have benefited* from SGP project 40

Livehood

Number of individuals (gender diaggregated) who have benefited* from SGP project 100

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