First Workshop 2006
For two days prior to the Apimondia Congress in Ireland in August 2005, Bees for Development organised the First African Honey Trade Workshop as part of our DFID/BLCF Project on African Honey. The specific purpose of the workshop was to enable honey marketing organisations in Africa and other developing countries to understand requirements for honey intended for import by the EU. Thirty participants involved in honey production in 18 developing countries were guided in the steps needed to prepare a Residue Monitoring Plan to meet EU requirements. The Proceedings can be accessed on our website, however the files are large. This CD provides the complete information from the workshop: all the presentations, the programme and resolutions, list of participants and information on legislation to October 2006 that applies to honey imports to the EU. 2006
Second Workshop 2007
Following the success of our First Honey Trade Workshop which took place prior to the 2005 Apimondia Congress we organised the Second African Honey Trade Workshop in October 2006. It was organised as part of our DFID/BLCF Project on African Honey, and the main sponsor was Rowse Honey Ltd. Over 100 participants from 14 countries attended the Workshop, held at Seeta, near Kampala, Uganda. For four days African honey producing and trading businesses considered challenges that face honey trade in Africa. Bees for Development’s perception is that the potential of apiculture to bring significant economic development and hence poverty alleviation to Africa, is not yet being achieved. Thousands of poor beekeeper-farmers in Africa have the means and knowledge to harvest honey from bees, yet lack access to reliable markets. The main purpose of the workshop was therefore to discuss issues surrounding trade in African honey, and ways to increase trade for beekeepers. Programme themes included: hearing from honey importers; the international honey market; EU requirements; producing fair trade honey and meeting fair trade standards; honey tasting and exhibition; producing organic honey and meeting organic standards; producer associations and supply chain development; and appropriate interventions = better returns. All the papers presented in these sessions are given here. Also included are the opening speeches made by The Honourable First Lady of Uganda, Mrs Janet Museveni MP, and other dignitaries, with an overview of Uganda’s apiculture sector provided by Dr Nicholas Kauta, plus contact details of participants. During the workshop there were periods where participants formed groups to consider specific issues more closely. Their discussions were taken on board in plans for the creation of the new Association, now named ApiTrade Africa. The minutes of the Association’s meetings and Statement of Establishment are here as well. For a summary and assessment of the situation of African honey trade, we recommend that you read the article published in BfD Journal 81. See also the CD Proceedings of the First Honey Trade Workshop which contains more details about EU accreditation, and information from other continents. 2007