Microfranchise honey co-op pays farmers not to cut down forests

[image credit: BBC]

Rural farmers slash and burn jungle to grow crops

In equatorial regions across the world, farmers practice slash-and-burn agriculture to make a living. It's a brutal example of the problem of the commons – while the rainforests benefit everyone, rural farmers have few short-term economic incentives to preserve them

Solution: Pay them for utilizing the existing forests

For the past twelve years, Kenyan social business Honey Care Africa has developed its innovative ‘Business in a Beehive’ model that has allowed low-income farmers to easily earn more money by producing honey.

The package gives farmers everything they need to start producing honey- a beehive, equipment, training, hive maintenance, and – most importantly of all – a contract for a guaranteed cash purchase of the resulting honey at fair market prices.

A simple beehive requires just 1 sq m (10 sq ft) of land and two to three hours of labor per month. With minimal effort, farmers can earn extra cash from producing honey.

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