How honey is helping to save Bolivia’s rare Andean bears

Conservationists say the landmark certification of Andean Bear Friendly honey is a “sweet” success.

This week, Chester Zoo announced that the honey produced by farmers living in the forests of Tarija in southern Bolivia has officially received Andean Bear Friendly™ certification by Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network.

Since 2017, Chester Zoo’s Andean Carnivore Conservation Programme has been helping families in the beautiful but threatened inter-Andean dry forests to set up apiaries and harvest honey.

Andean bears habitats are under pressure from cattle farming and bears sometimes face persecution. Honey provides farmers with a better way to earn money that helps protect the forest and keeps bears and people safe.

The programme, a partnership with the Bolivian NGO Fundacion Fautapo, and the University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), with funding from Fondation Segré, is led by Andean bear expert Dr. Ximena Velez-Liendo, with support from Paul Bamford, Chester Zoo’s Regional Field Programme Senior Manager for Latin America. 

Paul said: “The Andean Carnivore Conservation Programme has been producing honey for years. Now, that honey is officially certified as Andean Bear Friendly™. This means it is not harmful to bears, and it encourages conservation of the inter-Andean dry forest, which is a threatened habitat for many species.

“Farmers in Tarija live in extreme poverty and are grappling with serious environmental challenges, such as climate change, that threaten their traditional farming methods. Increasingly, they have turned to cattle ranching to make ends meet. Browsing cattle suppress forest regrowth, damaging the environment and bringing communities into conflict with wild carnivores. Despite having a primarily plant-based diet Andean bears are sometimes blamed for cattle mortalities, which arise most often because of the harsh environment. Beekeeping offers an important line of income that also fosters peaceful coexistence between people and bears by reducing economic reliance on cattle.”

Chester Zoo has a long history with Andean bears, and cares for several of these amazing animals on-site as part of an international conservation breeding programme. In the wild, Andean bears are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and their habitats are under pressure. The inter-Andean dry forests are themselves recognised as Critically Endangered, with only around six per cent of the original forest still standing.

Ximena Velez-Liendo said: “Just eight years ago, the Andean bear was seen as a menace—nearly driven to extinction. How did we turn things around? By demonstrating the value of biodiversity and the power of coexistence. Beekeeping became the perfect example: a sweet success, bottled in every jar of honey.”

The Andean Carnivore Conservation Programme part-funds the set-up of apiaries (arrays of bee hives) which provide honey, wax and propolis resin to Bolivian beekeepers, who can then sell the products on or use them for medicine and to supplement their diets. The project also supports the marketing and distribution of the honey, which is sold under the Valle de Osos (Valley of the Bears) label.

The Tarijeño beekepers, and other producers undergo a rigorous auditing process by Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network. The producers must show they are farming in ways that support biodiversity and wildlife conservation and support the livelihoods of local people.

Ximena and Paul collaborated with WFEN and the conservation NGOs ProCAT and Wildlife Conservation Society Colombia on defining the criteria for The Andean Bear Friendly™ certification.

“The Andean Bear Friendly™ certification celebrates the resilience and ingenuity of communities in Tarija, who are transforming challenges into opportunities by shifting from practices that harm wildlife to ones that protect it, and we are delighted to welcome these dedicated producers into our global network,” said Christine Lippai, Executive Director at WFEN.