宮城教育大学 環境教育研究紀要

第 21 巻 (2019)

Stingless Bee Keeping as an Occupational Hobby
and Sustainable Agrotourism in Cuba: A Case Study
Lazaro M. ECHENIQUE-DIAZ* and Koji MIZOTA*

Abstract: The development of tourism as one of the strongest economic sectors in Cuba during thelast 3 decades has traditionally focused on beach tourism and in a least extend rural tourism. Morerecently, however, sustainable agriculture has been gathering attention and rural Agrotourism hasemerged as a result. Stingless beekeeping is an agricultural practice that has been neglected in thesetransformations of the Cuban economy. Here, however, we review a successful case where the useof stingless bees initially kept as a hobby has allowed traditional farmlands to gradually shift to moresustainable agricultural practices while at the same time offering touristic opportunities not available
elsewhere in the region around them.
Keywords: stingless bees, agrotourism, occupational hobby, Cuba

Introduction

ordinary Cubans were allowed to start small, family-

After the dawn of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, theowned pensions and restaurants during the mid 1990s,

country's strategy for economic and social development

the whole island became virtually accessible to tourists of

didn't consider tourism as key to the future of its

all kinds, including most importantly, low budget tourists

economic growth. After the fall of the Socialist blockthat couldn't previously afford the price of state ownedin the 1990's, however, Cuba started to adopt tourism

beach resorts (Nelson et al. 2009).

as one of the basic elements of its economic strategy,and within a few years became a flourishing touristic

Agrotourism is a modality of rural tourism (Lecodestination. Consequently by early 2000's, the sector had

et al. 2013) that has become increasingly popular in

multiplied its gross income in the island nation by eight-

Cuba as a result of this transformation, and has for thefold (Gutierrez and Gancedo 2002). Nowadays, tourism inmost part focused on the now world-famous reputation

Cuba represents one of the most important pillars of its

Cuba has for organic farming that resulted not fromeconomy.

environmentally sound policies, but as a consequence ofthe decades long US embargo on the island (Pretty andBeing the largest island in the West Indies, Cuba has

Hine 2001, Levins 2002). In this regard, agrotourism

large extensions of sandy beaches, which has allowedin Cuba represents thus a form of tourism closer to thethe country to develop one of the most important beach-fundamentals of traditional farming communities, and istourism destinations in the Caribbean, although it has

key in the generation of income while also contributing

also invested into smaller scale rural tourism in theto the revitalization of Cuban agriculture, which sufferedcountryside. These tourism modalities are basicallytremendously after the collapse of the Soviet Union (Veradeveloped and managed by the Cuban government inet al. 1997).

collaboration with foreign investments. However, since* Research Institute for Teacher Training and Development, Miyagi University of Education－ 53 －Stingless Bee Keeping as an Occupational Hobby and Sustainable Agrotourism in CubaIn the past decades, successful projects ofmainly maintained by the private interest of bee keepers

agroecotourims in the buffer zones of National Parks

rather than economic incentives, and the general trend

and other nature conservation areas, such as Viñales

from the government has been that of favoring Apiculture

National Park and Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve,

due to the revenues this practice implies in comparisonhas shown that the synergy between government andwith the less lucrative (given low production volume)

small, privately-managed farms on the vicinity or within

practice of Meliponiculture.

conservation areas has been successful. Pristine, iconic
remnants of Cuban nature attract many tourists, and in

In contrast to the trends stated above, there areplaces where the Cuban government has allowed it, local

several reasons to advocate for Meliponiculture andfarmers have access to these tourists, selling them theiragroecotourism in Cuba, as exemplified by successful

products and offering the opportunity to experience thecases in Asia (Kunasekaran et al. 2018), where local

Cuban rural lifestyle.

farmers have developed a market to attract tourists
offering a variety of services including environmental

One of the most important elements of the agrotourism

education, experiencing Meliponiculture, and ecotourism,

model in Cuba is“sustainability”. Given the recent

all based on the ecological services that stingless bees

history of agricultural collapse and revival in the country,

provide as multifloral pollinators. Moreover, as healthsustainable agriculture has become the priority and thistourism is soaring in Cuba, the health benefits of theimplies that income generation should be maximized

honey from Melipona beecheii (studied in detail in Alvarez-

while creating an environment of self investment, withSuáres et al. 2018), the single species of stingless bee

minimum to non intervention by the government. In his

found in Cuba, brings an additional value to Agrotourism.

regard, farmers are encouraged to seek cooperative andThe honey from M. beecheii is traditionally regarded as

innovative ways to merge with the practices of organic

medicinal in Cuba, used in alignments such as diabetes,farming (Ortiz et al. 2016).

burns, cataracts, and stomach infection of Helicobacter
pylori. It is also rich in antioxidants and amino acids, andBeekeeping is an agricultural practice that has been

can be regarded as a natural dietary supplement that isalso positively affected by the transition to sustainable

increasingly gaining attention in the international market,farming in Cuba. This practice, however, has not been

but still poorly known in Cuba.

affected by tourism trends in the island because theIn the present paper we describe a case study in a

Cuban government subsidize this activity and bee

rural community in Cuba where local farmers had

keepers in turn sell their honey production to statedeveloped a mutually beneficial collaboration with anowned cooperatives. This mainly relates to Apiculture.

enthusiastic amateur stingless beekeeper without thegovernment intervention, and discuss the implications

Meliponiculture (or stingless bee keeping), on thethis collaboration has on the sustainability of agrotourism

other hand, is still in its infancy in Cuba, and although

in the community as a whole, and the prospects of furthera few relative large producers exist (see Genaro anddeveloping Meliponiculture in Cuba.

Loriga 2018 for details), their activity is not directly
related to agrotourism. By far, stingless beekeeping inStudy site

Cuba remains an occupational hobby, where keepers

The community in focus (named Pio Cua) is a rural

maintain the hives while dedicating most of their time

settlement in the Popular Council of Australia, Jagüey

to a different job. Therefore, Meliponiculture in Cuba isGrande municipality, Matanzas province, Cuba (about 150－ 54 －宮城教育大学 環境教育研究紀要

第 21 巻 (2019)km east of Havana). The community borders with Zapata

Swamp National Park and therefore is poorly visited by

Swamp National Park, the largest wetland in the insular

non-national tourists.

Caribbean (Echenique-Diaz 1998), and has an estimated

Most residents in this community work in services-

population of 585 inhabitants (EcuRed 2019) (Fig. 1). To

related government jobs. However, many also have their

the south of this community (about 5 km away) lies theown small patches of land (leased from the government)

town of Jagüey Grande, a popular stop for tourist visiting

where they practice subsistence agriculture. Some

Zapata Swamp National Park. The only touristic attraction

traditional farmers in the community that for years havein this community is a large cenote or collapsed cave andmanaged relatively large patches of land, have recently

a government-managed restaurant. The place, however,shifted to the production of tropical fruits, mainly

lacks the attractiveness of nearby spots such as Zapata

because of the demand for these agricultural products

Figure 1: The Pio Cua community in Cuba. The yellow circle is drawn around the community and the yellow stars represent
the areas where the stingless bees are kept.

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Stingless Bee Keeping as an Occupational Hobby and Sustainable Agrotourism in Cuba

from privately owned restaurants and pensions in larger

production, although there is no data to confirm this lattercities as far as Havana, the country's capital. For theassertion. Similarly, farm owners perceive the presence

aim of this study, we visited two of these large farms asof Melipona bees in their farmlands as beneficial becausewell as the sites where Melipona bees are kept. Theseit appeals to the conformity of sustainable and organic

two farms were selected because with the transition toagriculture. Besides, stingless bees are an additional

fruit production, they also started a pension business for

attraction to tourist given their remarkable tameness andtourists in transit to other touristic destinations.

differences with the European bee Apis mellifera. Touristare usually given a tour of the farms and can work with

Stingless beekeeping in Pio Cua in Agriculturaltrained workers opening the hive boxes and extracting

Farmlands

honey (Fig. 3). The bee keeper in contrast, receives extra

A resident of the community in focus has for nearly 20

income for the revenues provided by the stingless bees,years kept several Melipona hives as a hobby. Initially,

and train farm owners and workers on the management

this stingless bee keeper kept the bees in logs extractedof the hives.

from their natural habitat, but eventually started toThis collaboration is still working at a small scale,transfer these to boxes of his own design. By trial andbut it has triggered a change in perception among local

error, he came to a design very similar to what Genaro

farmers who now see their farms not only as areas ofand Loriga (2018) define as Rational Box UTOB). We

food production but also as touristic destination thatwere allowed to check the meticulously kept records ofcan provide a new kind of rural tourism, agrotourism.

this bee keeper and confirm that his design has someIt has also encouraged the local stingless beekeeper

distinctive features, particularly his records of hive healthto continue expanding his passion for Melipona bees

and box size. Over the years, he has come to manage

without necessarily becoming a professional beekeeper.

200 plus hives distributed over several areas within andIn this model of agrotourism, education of local farmaround the Pio Cua community (Fig. 2). In recent years,

owners has been a key factor, and more farmers appear

however, newly developed fruit farmlands called histo be interested in having stingless bees in their farms.

attention as potential places where he could keep some of

Although organic agriculture seems to be the general

the hives and after consulting with farm owners, a very

case in Cuba, pesticides imported form countries such as

successful collaboration started.

China with which Cuba maintains a friendly relationship,
are more frequently used, especially in areas where

A case for stingless beekeeping as anproduction needs to be maximized to meet the demands

occupational hobby and the development ofof tourism. Given the susceptibility of bees to pesticides,

agrotourism

farmers that agree to having stingless bee hives in

In interviews made to farmland owners and workers

their farms also need to reduce or eliminate any use ofduring multiple visits from 2014 to 2017, subjects

chemicals in their farmlands, making the system a more

described an increase in the number of tourists that stayecologically friendly one, which in turn appeals more to

longer in these farmlands, mainly due to their interest

tourist seeking a different kind of tourism in rural Cuba.

in the rural environment these places provide, making

These factors can drive attention to farms incorporating

a case for agrotourism in contrast to the more classicalMeliponiculture in their activities with the potential totourism that attract foreigners to this region. Subjects

create a market for agrotourism to flourish in Cuba.

also describe the benefits of having Melipona bee

This case study points to a potential direction forhives in their farmlands, describing an increase in fruit

developing Meliponiculture in Cuba other than the－ 56 －宮城教育大学 環境教育研究紀要

第 21 巻 (2019)

incentives that selling the honey to the government could

this still poorly know bee from school children in nearby

imply. Lower volumes of honey production and a still notcommunities would increase the impact of this new kind

well established international market for stingless beeof agrotourism.

honey is still a problem worldwide. In turn, the use of
Melipona beecheii as pollinators rather than simply honeyAcknowledgements

producing organisms, paired with the health benefits ofThe authors wish to thank the residents of Pio Cua

its honey and interesting life history, provided ample

community for allowing us to wander through theiropportunities for environmental education to take placecommunity making informal interviews. We are also

in these farmlands. Tourists, however, shouldn't be theindebted to to the enthusiastic beekeeper that inspired

only targets and outreach activities to attract attention tothis study, Mr. Leonel and his wife Anita, for sharing their

Figure 2: Top-left: Melipona beecheii hives placed in a farmland ﬁeld of guaba fruits for touristic uses. Top-right: Placing M.
beechei hives around in a farmland. Bottom-left: Traditional stingless bee honey extraction using sterilized syringes. Bottomright: M. beecheii hives kept for honey production at different locations around Pio Cua community.

－ 57 －Stingless Bee Keeping as an Occupational Hobby and Sustainable Agrotourism in Cuba

Figure 3: Top-left: Melipona beecheii boxes being prepared to distribute across farmlands around Pio Cua community.
Top-right and bottom-left: Sharing the experience of stingless bee honey extraction. Bottom-right: Teaching children in thecommunity about stingless bees and their roles as pollinators.

－ 58 －宮城教育大学 環境教育研究紀要

第 21 巻 (2019)

experiences with us, and to their family for the warmth

G u t i e r r e z O. a n d G a n c e d o N . (2002) : To u r i s mthey showed during our stay with them. Last, we express

Development for the Cuban Economy. Harvard review

our gratitude to the farmland owners and workers forof Latin America. (https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/sharing their opinions. This work was supported by JSPS

book/pdf-32)

KAKENHI Grant Number 16H03051 and 16H05655.

Kunasekaran P., Fuza N., Kamilah E.N., RamachaandranS. (2018): Factors Influencing Perceptions of Local

Disclaimer

Community on Kelulut Honey as Agrotourism Product.

This study represents the sole opinion of the authors

International Journal of Business and Society 19 (1):and although not included herein, is the result of several

66-78.

years studying different cases of stingless beekeeping inLeco F., Pérez A., Hernández J.M., and campón A.M.
(2013): Rural Tourists and Their Attitudes andCuba.

Motivations Towards the Practice of Environmental

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