SBEES: Stingless Bees and One Health

The SBEES project, funded by the One Health Network Funds 2021/2022 and led by Dr. Mario Castro, highlights the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) in Latin America. These bees are key pollinators of native and tropical plants, while their products—honey, pollen, propolis, and wax—have long supported local livelihoods and indigenous traditions.

Today, stingless bees face severe threats from deforestation, urban expansion, pesticide use, intensive farming, and competition with exotic species. In response, meliponiculture (stingless beekeeping) is gaining relevance as a strategy for conservation, income generation, and cultural preservation.

SBEES aimed to promote the sustainable development of meliponiculture in Bolivia and Guatemala by documenting traditional uses in health, promoting good practices, and supporting commercialization. The project combined research with educational interventions across the production chain, from producers to consumers.

By linking traditional knowledge with innovation, SBEES contributes to a sustainable interaction between stingless bees, humans, and the environment, fully aligned with the One Health approach.

Project responsible Mario Eduardo Castro Torres - Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca (USFX), Bolivia

More info:

https://ohtarget.usfx.bo/index.php/sbees/