Enhancing Resilience: How Climate Funds Empower Peru’s Women Beekeepers

In northeast Peru, a collective of women beekeepers has revitalized their honey business through UN climate funding, overcoming challenges posed by climate change. Despite the adverse weather severely impacting bee populations, the Hojuelas de Miel association adapted by supplementing bee nutrition and planting resilient flowers around their hives. With significant support from the Avanzar Rural program, they now operate a successful business and express newfound empowerment in the face of climate adversity.

In the highlands of northeastern Peru, a collective of women engaged in beekeeping has successfully revived their honey production and preserved their livelihoods, thanks to the influx of climate funding from the United Nations. These women have not only safeguarded their beehives from the adverse effects of climate change but have also forged a flourishing honey enterprise. Located in Chilal de la Merced— a village with around 800 residents situated at an altitude of over 2,600 meters (approximately 8,500 feet) in the Andes of Peru’s Cajamarca region— the community has faced severe challenges due to increasingly erratic weather patterns, including heavy rainfall, droughts, frost, and hailstorms tied to a warming climate and rising ocean temperatures. Consequently, the bees’ ability to gather nectar and pollen has been severely compromised. During the intense rains of early 2022, bees remained inactive within their hives and faced starvation. Karina Villalobos, the 28-year-old spokesperson for the Hojuelas de Miel (Honey Flakes) beekeeping association, recalled a disturbing scene: “When we checked the hives, we found the boxes full of dead bees.” In the preceding year, Villalobos and her 14 colleagues had applied for a grant from Avanzar Rural, a collaborative initiative between the Peruvian government and the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), designed to assist small-scale food producers in rural areas vulnerable to climate change. However, securing the $27,000 in climate funding presented a significant hurdle, as climate change’s impact continued unabated, and project implementation required considerable time. Faced with potential ruin months after receiving the grant, the beekeepers confronted a pivotal decision. Villalobos voiced their dilemma: “We asked ourselves, what are we going to do? If we don’t take action, the bees will disappear, the project will collapse and our organization will fail.” In response to the shifting climate, the Hojuelas de Miel association undertook measures to adapt, enabling the bees to cope with disrupted blooming seasons. They supplemented the bees’ nutrition by feeding them a syrupy mixture of sugar and vitamins while simultaneously planning for a sustainable future. The grant enabled the women to plant local species of flora, including arum lilies and coffee plants— which exhibit drought and wet-resilience— around their hives to bolster their bees’ feeding grounds. As these plants flourished, they were transplanted into the forest, creating an enriched habitat for the bees. It is noteworthy that less than 2 percent of international climate finance is directed toward rural communities, small-scale farmers, and Indigenous populations. Juan Diego Ruiz, IFAD’s chief for the Andean region and the Southern Cone, observed that women in Peru face particular challenges in acquiring financial resources for their enterprises. Villalobos remarked, “Because the owner of the land is the man, so how can we get a loan?” However, Ruiz underscored the pivotal role women play in confronting the repercussions of climate change, stating, “women like her are on the frontline of the impact of climate change.” Over the past four years, Avanzar Rural has supported 1,031 small businesses in Peru, benefiting 17,557 individuals through financial contributions amounting to $24 million by IFAD, complemented by an additional $45 million from the Peruvian government. The beekeeping collective was required to contribute 10 percent of their business plan’s cost— totaling $3,800— before they could access their initial funding tranche, which they utilized for equipment purchases and to acquire technical, financial, and environmental expertise. Currently, the association operates 89 beehives and generates approximately $13,000 annually. Villalobos expressed pride in their transformation: “Today we are empowered and resilient women.”

The intersection of climate change and agriculture has increasingly highlighted the vulnerability of rural communities, particularly those reliant on natural resources for their livelihoods. In Peru, erratic weather patterns and extreme climatic events have intensified challenges faced by agricultural producers, especially women, who often lack access to financing and resources necessary for adaptation. Recognizing these injustices, programs such as Avanzar Rural have emerged to provide critical support, enabling local initiatives that bolster resilience against climate threats while fostering economic empowerment for women in agriculture, particularly in beekeeping.

The success story of the women beekeepers in northeast Peru stands as a testament to the potential of targeted climate funding to transform vulnerable communities. Through innovative adaptations, they have not only fully revived their bee populations but also established a viable business model that supports their livelihoods. This initiative underscores the essential role of women in agriculture and the imperative for inclusive climate finance that recognizes and supports the contributions of rural women amidst the ongoing challenges posed by climate change.

Original Source: www.france24.com