A hive of activity: Beekeeping supports forests, livelihoods in Gambia’s mangrove communities

23/07/2025

In the mangrove-lined village of Kiang Jattaba, along the Bintang Bolong river in southern Gambia, honey is doing more than sweetening tea. It’s becoming a lifeline. Here, surrounded by tidal creeks and wetlands, families have long depended on mangroves for wood, fish, and farmland. But with increasing drought and deforestation, those resources have become harder to access. However, a shift is underway - led by women like Nyima Njie, who are using beekeeping not only to support their households, but to protect and restore the very ecosystems they depend on.

For Nyima Njie, a mother of four, it’s hard to overstate the change. “Before this support, I was like a root underground,” she says. “But now, I feel like I’m at the top of the tree. All thanks to the honey and beeswax.”

Nyima is part of a growing group of women in Kiang West who are turning to beekeeping in mangrove areas - a practice that supports livelihoods, improves health, and protects coastal ecosystems. In partnership with the Freedom From Hunger Campaign (FFHC) and with support from FAO under the GRACE initiative (part of the Sida-funded Global Transformation of Forests for People and Climate), six communities have received training, hives, and tools to start small-scale honey enterprises.

For Nyima, the shift has been personal. “I used to struggle just to send my kids to school. Some days, I couldn’t even provide lunch,” she says. “Now I use the income from honey and beeswax to pay their school fees.”

Bees in the mangroves

Mangroves are more than trees. They filter salt, anchor shorelines, and provide habitat for fish and shellfish - crucial for food and nutrition in this region. Their tangled roots protect against coastal erosion, while their canopies trap carbon and provide nesting grounds for birds and pollinators. But they’re under increasing threat from woodcutting, rising salinity, sea-level rise, and land conversion. In many parts of The Gambia, degraded mangroves have already led to abandoned rice fields and declining fish catches.

As communities searched for ways to restore and sustainably use mangrove ecosystems, beekeeping emerged as an unexpected but powerful ally.

Beekeeping in mangrove zones is uniquely beneficial. Mangrove flowers provide rich nectar sources, especially during the dry season when inland flora are less abundant. These nectar-rich environments support healthy, productive bee colonies throughout the year, which is critical in areas with seasonal variations in flowering plants. The abundance of floral resources also means higher honey yields, providing more consistent income for local producers. Moreover, bees pollinate not only mangroves but nearby crops and wild plants, contributing to overall ecosystem health and biodiversity.

Photo 1 - Visitors tour restored mangroves and meet the communities behind them. ©FAO/Maryia Kukharava
Photo 2 - A glimpse of The Gambia’s thriving mangrove ecosystems. ©FAO/Maryia Kukharava

The presence of hives also encourages communities to maintain healthy, flowering forests. “Beekeeping doesn’t just provide honey,” says Kanimang Kamara, FAO focal point for the GRACE initiative. “It also gives people a reason to protect the forest - because healthy mangroves mean more flowering, and more honey.”

For women like Nyima, those connections are deeply personal. “Honey is not just a product - it’s medicine in our homes,” she says. “When a child has chest pain, honey and lime brings relief. Even for worms, we use honey.”

The GRACE initiative has provided six hives in each of the six participating villages, along with training in hive maintenance, harvesting, and processing. In addition to honey, women are learning to process beeswax into soap, balm, and cream. These value-added products are sold in local markets, helping women gain income with minimal environmental impact. “That’s what I use to buy rice and clothes for my children,” Nyima adds. “I don’t need to wait for anyone.”

Working with nature, not against it

The beekeeping effort is just one part of a larger restoration push. Under GRACE, communities are also planting mangrove propagules, protecting natural regeneration, and introducing fuel-efficient cookstoves to reduce firewood use.

“These aren’t handouts,” says Kamara. “They’re tools and training that build on what communities already know.” Each village now has its own eco-guards, trained to monitor forest use and raise awareness about conservation.

Importantly, attitudes are shifting. “We used to cut trees without thinking,” Nyima says. “Now, when we hear of tree felling, we report it immediately. And we’ve started planting mangroves - we’re not stopping there.”

Photo 1 - Kanimang Kamara of FAO Gambia presents local restoration efforts. ©FAO/Maryia Kukharava
Photo 2 - Communities cross rivers to collect and plant mangrove seedlings. ©FAO/Maryia Kukharava

Looking ahead

While some challenges persist - such as access to markets and the impacts of climate variability - communities in Kiang West are working with resilience and determination.

“I’m praying for this project to grow even further,” Nyima says. “So that we too can continue to progress.”

The introduction of beekeeping has empowered an important shift across the six villages, strengthening both economic opportunity and environmental stewardship. With continued collaboration and support, these communities are laying the groundwork for a more sustainable and self-reliant future, where forest conservation and improved livelihoods go hand in hand. To further build on this progress, FAO Gambia is also working to link local producers with the national honey producers association - helping to improve technical support, ensure product quality, and open new doors to markets.