Aquarelle backs women-led apiculture project for a sustainable tomorrow | Ciel Textile Website
What if we told you that you could make a sweet impact on the environment and women’s lives simultaneously? Well, that’s what Aquarelle is doing by supporting a promising women-led apiculture project at La Vallée de Ferney, in the South-East of Mauritius.
Empowering beekeeping: 15 beehives by the end of 2024
Here’s the deal: by the end of 2024, we aim to have 15 buzzing beehives flourishing, thanks to the funds invested by Aquarelle Mauritius in September 2023. Reality check – the cyclonic weather left us with 8 hives for now. But guess what? Our unstoppable beekeepers are not discouraged at all. They have tested a new flood-proof area, where the additional beehives will be installed. We are on track to hit the 15 colonies milestone by the end of 2024!
Promoting social inclusion of women beekeepers and local biodiversity conservation
Did you know? Each hive can yield approximately 10 to 15 kg of honey. With our existing colonies, the beekeepers expect to harvest 80kg of honey. For the time being, all proceeds from sales – under the label ‘Bees with Stories’ – are being used to cover the running costs such as stipends for beekeepers, consumables, utilities, delivery expenses, etc.
But guess what? Bees with Stories dreams big, and we are there to support them in this endeavor - scaling up beekeeping activities in Mauritius, boosting local honey production, empowering women beekeepers and contributing to biodiversity conservation through the apiculture value chain. How so? It’s all about circularity!
Circularity is key!
Well, we are not only supporting the social enterprise and the women beekeepers by funding beehives, but we are also bringing our contribution at other levels as well. The social enterprise reuses 95% of beeswax from old colonies to speed up honey production for new colonies. And what about the remaining 5%? The remaining 5% of beeswax from old colonies is used to create beeswax wraps by using obsolete fabrics from our business unit, Aquarelle. Circularity at its best!
This project is not just about producing honey; it’s about creating a positive impact on people and the planet.
Stay tuned for updates on this project!
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Ever heard of Bees with Stories?
It’s the first brand exclusively sourcing bee products from Africa, enabling African beekeepers to showcase their products globally. The initiative addresses challenges faced by African beekeepers, such as limited market access, lack of traceability, and weak negotiation skills.
The social enterprise aims to put African bee products on the map by highlighting their unique identity and flavor. And most importantly, bring additional income to the communities involved in their production. It adapts beekeeping projects – a male-dominated activity – to better suit the needs of women beekeepers to foster inclusion and independence.
