Chester Zoo's honey initiative in Bolivia has earned a certification for aiding conservation and providing sustainable income for local farmers.

Honey produced by farmers living in the forests of Tarija in southern Bolivia has officially received Andean Bear Friendly™ certification by Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network.

Since 2017, Chester Zoo's Andean Carnivore Conservation Programme has been helping families in the inter-Andean dry forests to set up apiaries and harvest honey.

Andean bears habitats are under pressure from cattle farming and bears sometimes face persecution.

Honey provides farmers with a better way to earn money that helps protect the forest and keeps bears and people safe.

The programme is led by Andean bear expert Dr. Ximena Velez-Liendo, with support from Paul Bamford, Chester Zoo's regional field programme senior manager for Latin America. 

"The Andean Carnivore Conservation Programme has been producing honey for years. Now, that honey is officially certified as Andean Bear Friendly," said Paul.

"This means it is not harmful to bears, and it encourages conservation of the inter-Andean dry forest, which is a threatened habitat for many species.

"Farmers in Tarija live in extreme poverty and are grappling with serious environmental challenges, such as climate change, that threaten their traditional farming methods.

"Despite having a primarily plant-based diet Andean bears are sometimes blamed for cattle mortalities, which arise most often because of the harsh environment.

"Beekeeping offers an important line of income that also fosters peaceful coexistence between people and bears by reducing economic reliance on cattle."

Chester Zoo has a long history with Andean bears, and cares for several on-site as part of an international conservation breeding programme.

In the wild, Andean bears are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and their habitats are under pressure. The inter-Andean dry forests are themselves recognised as critically endangered, with only around six per cent of the original forest still standing.

Ximena Velez-Liendo said: "Just eight years ago, the Andean bear was seen as a menace—nearly driven to extinction. How did we turn things around? By demonstrating the value of biodiversity and the power of coexistence.

"Beekeeping became the perfect example: a sweet success, bottled in every jar of honey."

The Andean Carnivore Conservation Programme part-funds the set-up of apiaries (arrays of bee hives) which provide honey, wax and propolis resin to Bolivian beekeepers, who can then sell the products on or use them for medicine and to supplement their diets.

The project also supports the marketing and distribution of the honey, which is sold under the Valle de Osos (Valley of the Bears) label.

The programme is a partnership with the Bolivian NGO Fundacion Fautapo and the University of Oxford's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), with funding from Fondation Segré.

You can find out more here.