Youth Involvement in Beekeeping and Forest Conservation: A Case Study of Manyoni District, Tanzania

Beekeeping has been considered a potential conservation tool for forests in Tanzania. We aimed to identify the potential role of youth in beekeeping activities and their possible effects on forest conservation. The study was conducted in July 2014 in three selected villages of Aghondi, Mwanzi, and Solya as one of the potentials for beekeeping in Manyoni District, Tanzania. Ninety young citizens with ages from 15 to 35 were chosen for an interview using a structured questionnaire. The results show only 46.7% of the respondents involved in beekeeping activities and 71.4% of them agreed to use traditional beehives. The use of traditional methods in both processing and honey production (especially the use of bark and fire) is a significant cause of low-quality bee products, less income, and biodiversity loss in the area. More training should emphasize using modern technology such as Top Bar and Langstroth hives, which are environmentally friendly and improves the honey output. Regarding conservation, the studies showed that 43.3% of the respondent’s emphasis on tree planting, while 35.6% insisted on stopping cutting trees. Expecting that, cutting trees will destroy the environment and pollens for the bees will disappear.