Pro-Sofala Verde

Generating income and restoring biodiversity through sustainable honey production
2014 SEED Africa Award; Government of Flanders
Biodiversity
Beira
Mozambique

The enterprise provides an innovative and inclusive value chain of eco-friendly high grade honey production. Families having successfully participated in CSR funded reforestation supported by Cevejas de Moçambique SA are invited to participate. Hives produced locally from sustainable forestry off-cuts are distributed to the families. All bee-keepers receive extensive training. Advanced bee-keepers receive additional training and incentive to mentor families in hive and bee maintenance and to ensure hygienic cropping. PSV buys community honey at above market rates. After cropping and processing, affordable high-grade honey is marketed in 1-portion honey sticks to urban areas where most Mozambicans do not have access to nutritionally valuable honey. 

New jobs will be created from honey processing and hive production, including indirect jobs from the packaging, distribution and honey sales. The reforestation and sustainable honey production support biodiversity conservation by improving natural resource management, resulting in a significant reduction of destructive practices within the project area.

Eco-Inclusive Impacts
The honey co-operative stimulates the economy by creating sustainable incomes for 30 families and providing access to a nutritious food source, improving their health and welfare. Sustainable honey production supports biodiversity conservation.
  • Providing low-income families with access to high-grade honey, previously unavailable.
  • Empowering rural communities by giving them ownership over assets and a sustainable future.
  • Ensuring that Mutondo families have increased wealth, improving health and education opportunities.
  • Contributing to biodiversity conservation and awareness of the value of natural resource management.
  • Educating communities about fire prevention and valuable forest resources, reducing bad practices.
  • Helping to preserve world natural heritage, specifically endangered wildlife habitats.
  • Stimulating the local economy by providing 30 families with income from sustainably-produced honey.
  • Providing direct and indirect jobs throughout the entire value chain from hive construction, through distribution and the sale of high-grade honey.

 

Partners

Pro-Sofala Verde uses bees and a CSR funded reforestation project to show a rural Mozambican community how sustainable natural resource management can lead to social, economic and environmental benefits. Qualifiying families receive bee hives and are trained in sustainable beekeeping and harvesting techniques. The high grade honey is sold back to the enterprise which processes and distributes it to urban areas in small and affordable portions.

Pro-Sofala Verde (PSV) is a non-profit organisation that raises and receives monies to fund the honey-making co-operative. It is contributing 33 % towards building a new processing plant.

Life4Sofala (L4S) Foundation is a non-profit organisation that provides ongoing expertise to PSV as well as the start-up funding that helped to launch the honey-making project.

TCT Dalmann is a commercial hard-wood furniture manufacturer and business partner. It has invested 65 % into the construction of the new honey processing plant, which it will manage for PSV.

Associação Pitshwa Mutondo is an association which represents the Mutondo community involved in the honey co-operative.