Apiculture Mini Series Part One: Empowering Rural Women Beekeepers Across Bolivia
Context
From the Andean mountains to the Amazon rainforest to the Pantanal wetlands, Bolivia is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries. This biodiversity plays a critical role in the country’s economy, providing livelihood opportunities in agribusiness for rural communities. Among these agribusiness activities is apiculture. Often overshadowed by common exports such as soy andsugarcane, apiculture is typically regarded as a secondary activity, an opportunity for male farmers to supplement their income alongside primary crops. Yet apiculture hold significant potential – not only as a source of income for men, but as a pathway to economic empowerment for rural women.
Departments are top-level administrative divisions, similar to provinces in Canada. Bolivia has nine departments, each with its own local government.
In 2015 Miel Maya Honing MMH (Association Sans But Lucratif) Program Bolivia (MMH), a non-governmental organization focused on improving the living conditions of marginalized rural communities, launched a beekeeping pilot program in Bolivia. The initiative quickly grew into a multi-year program, establishing partnerships with producers across the Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and Tarija departments.
“I knew the value of synergies in international cooperation so I invited [Catalyste+ Country Representative] Carlos Ramallo to talk,” shares MMH Bolivia Program Coordinator Ricardo Vargas Ramírez. “We saw that we had similar approaches and started working together.”
Working alongside local producers, MMH quickly identified several key challenges facing the sector. Beekeeping had high entry costs and was largely male-dominated. The few women involved were typically confined to honey production, with limited knowledge of how to market or sell their products, restricting their access to the more profitable parts of the value chain. Beyond these gender barriers, most producers worked independently, lacking access to training, formal markets, and support systems. In response, MMH partnered with Catalyste+ to begin addressing these gaps.
Building Capacity & Equality
Map of Bolivia highlighting the three departments MMH Bolivia operates in.
To strengthen technical capacity, Catalyste+ Advisor Peter Keating provided training on hive management to indigenous beekeepers living in remote areas of Cochabamba and Tarija, reaching 16 women and 58 men. Working together, Peter and the producers modified the hive structures to minimize heat stress, relocated the hives to support pollen collection, and introduced natural cleaning products to strengthen hive hygiene. Peter also helped producers identify different bee species and apply calming techniques, further strengthening their hive management practices.
Following the technical training, male beekeepers gained a deeper respect for women’s capabilities, having seen them manage hives effectively and confidently. Women were viewed as more capable, creating an enabling environment for their participation.
Local beekeepers at MMH Bolivia working with Advisor Peter Keating
To increase sales avenues for the producers, Catalyste+ Advisor Debbie Scoffield provided training on marketing and commercialization processes to two beekeeping businesses and 35 individual producers across Cochabamba, Tarija, and Santa Cruz. Over three weeks, Debbie worked virtually with the beekeepers to develop marketing plans, design new labels, and transition to glass packaging for a more professional and sustainable product presentation. These changes resulted in greater brand recognition and an increased interest among consumers.
Additionally, Debbie and the producers conducted a market study to identify
institutional buyers and potential sales channels. As a result, some producers
secured a partnership with the departmental government through a social assistance program, supplying honey for food supplement baskets for elderly people. Others expanded their reach through social networks and local fairs, boosting their distribution efforts within their communities.
Debbie’s support had a significant impact on the producers, particularly women.Many began to see themselves not just as producers, but as entrepreneurs and leaders. Inspired by Debbie’s encouragement, women beekeepers took the lead in marketing efforts, creating logos, designing packaging, and directly engaging with consumers to sell their products.
At the organizational level, MMH followed Debbie’s recommendation to establish three stores across Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and Tarija. Designed as social enterprises, these stores purchase honey and other bee products directly from the producers at fair prices, then sell them to the general public. This model ensures that producers no longer have to spend time and resources seeking out buyers, as the social stores provide a reliable and equitable sales outlet in each department’s capital city.
During both collaborations, Catalyste+ Advisors Peter and Debbie reinforced the importance of women’s inclusion in apiculture, creating opportunities for women in the area to gain technical knowledge and become active participants in the sector.
“At the beginning, almost all beekeeping activity was in the hands of men. But with the support of Catalyste+, we were able to initiate gender empowerment processes,” explains Ricardo Vargas Ramírez.
A beneficiary receiving the live bee colonies via the AIMf
One of the clearest outcomes of this shift was the formation of a women’s association in Lomerío, Santa Cruz. A grassroots beekeeping association working in partnership with MMH engaged in several discussions with Catalyste+ Advisors about gender equality. As a result of these discussions, the association expanded to include women, leading to the creation of a women’s association. This expansion opened the doors for women to access technical training, marketing channels, and production support through MMH. Today, the women work collaboratively with apis (European honey bees) and meliponas (native stingless bees), managing all aspects of production and marketing. Through this work, the women have created economic opportunities for themselves, gained confidence, and become prominent members of their communities.
This shift towards greater gender equality was further supported in Tarija through Catalyste+’s AWE Innovation Microfund (AIMf). Eight women living in rural Tarija were selected to receive the AIMf based on their age, experience in beekeeping, and active involvement with MMH. Using the knowledge gained from the Advisors and the beehives provided through the AIMf, the women increased their honey production from 22 kilos per hive to 35 kilos, resulting in a 10% increase in sales, and boost in income.
The AWE Innovation Microfund (AIMf) is a gender-focused initiative aimed at strengthening women’s economic empowerment through the acquisition of supplies or equipment. The fund is dedicated to partners who have benefited or are in the process of benefitting from technical assistance with one of our Advisors, so that they can better apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills, or implement assignment recommendations.
These improvements go beyond income alone. With greater savings, the women have been able to manage their households better, send children to school, and access essential resources such as healthcare and medicine, significantly improving their families’ overall quality of life. Moreover, they have increased women’s representation in apiculture, creating an opportunity for more women to enter the sector.
“The change has been very positive,” says Ricardo. “With their own hives, [the women] generate surpluses that they can save. We’ve taught them to open bank accounts, something that is very new for many of them. There is more economic autonomy.”
Sectoral Cohesion & Sustainability
The collaboration between MMH and Catalyste+ has been transformative for the beekeepers. Improved hive management techniques have enhanced bee health and productivity, while targeted marketing plans have expanded access to consumers and driven higher sales. These changes have translated into significant social and economic gains: producers have increased their incomes, enabling them to move into larger homes, access higher education for themselves and their children, and improve household food security. For many, this new income has also led to greater self-esteem. As producers gained confidence and skills, the foundation was laid for a more cohesive and resilient beekeeping sector across Bolivia. In response, MMH supported the formation of an interdepartmental consortium made up of representatives from each social store and MMH members and staff. This consortium facilitates the exchange of resources, knowledge, and products between different actors in the Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and Tarija departments, while allowing each store to maintain its autonomy. Moving forward, the producers plan to expand the consortium to other departments in Bolivia and replicate the women’s association from Santa Cruz in both Tarija and Cochabamba.
Together, the social stores, women’s association, and interdepartmental consortium ensure long-term sustainability, enabling continued growth for the producers without direct support from MMH or other partners. While MMH has decided to close operations in Bolivia, the organization is confident that the beekeepers can now thrive independently.
“The collaboration with Catalyste+ allowed us to strengthen technical, leadership, gender, and marketing capacities. This has left a solid foundation for the work to continue, even without an active project,” explains Ricardo Vargas Ramírez.
The social stores and consortium already operate without external financing, a clear sign that this model is both sustainable and scalable. As they continue to grow, they are well-positioned to continue advancing gender equality and economic resilience for rural women and men beekeepers across Bolivia.
Conclusion
Through its collaboration with Miel Maya Honing MMH (Association Sans But Lucratif) Program Bolivia, Catalyste+ contributed meaningfully to important changes within Bolivia’s beekeeping sector. By combining technical training and marketing expertise with targeted, gender-focused support, Catalyste+ helped producers strengthen their skills, expand market access, and unlock new income opportunities. Support from the AIMf enabled women beekeepers in Tarija to take steps toward economic independence, while the formation of a women’s unit in Santa Cruz gave them a formal role in apiculture for the first time. Women who were once excluded from the value chain are now producers, marketers, association leaders, and key contributors to household and community wellbeing.
As MMH transitions out of Bolivia, the impact of this work will continue, sustained by the skills, confidence, and collaborative structures now in place. Catalyste+’s contribution has not only improved livelihoods, but also supported the inclusive and sustainable use of Bolivia’s rich biodiversity – laying the foundation for long-term, locally driven change.
Acknowledgment
Catalyste+ would like to thank Brianna Marshall for leading the creation of this impact story, as well as Claudia Aparicio, Carlos Ramallo, Sirley Collazos, Ricardo Vargas Ramírez, and Debbie Scoffield whose valuable inputs contributed to this publication.
