Inclusive beekeeping in the caatinga: a teaching experience

Abstract

The manuscript aims to report the experiences during the development of the project “Apicultura na caatinga: uma atividade produtiva, inclusiva e ecoeducativa”, the project had institutional support from Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (PROExC/UFRPE), and aimed, during the pandemic period of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), to make online theoretical training in beekeeping (africanized honey bees) for family farmers of the Pernambuco state, Northeast of Brazil, from July 2021 to July 2022. The training was carried out online, through recorded video classes, live meetings to discuss the topics covered during the classes and providing didactic material to participants. Sixty-three (63) rural producers from the municipalities of Arcoverde and Ibimirim, both in Pernambuco state, were certified and trained in beekeeping (africanized honey bees) through this project of PROExC/UFRPE. Online theoretical training on beekeeping promoted productive inclusion in agricultural communities, improving the productive and economic capacity of them, through the rational exploitation of africanized honey bees’ products.