PRCA-SA / Jege Ni Jaba II
The beeswax program came as an addendum to the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Shea project. Since the shea production varies every year (with one year out of three being good), so does the income of the rural women working in the shea value chain. In order to give the women an alternative income, USAID thought it would be a good idea to finance a project that would not only help the women diversify their income, but also have a positive impact on the environment. ICCO Cooperation is implementing this innovative project with key partners such as ICRAF (Worlds Agroforestry Centre) and Olvea BF.
The overall objective of the beeswax program are threefold:
1- To strengthen the resiliency of 3,000 women engaged in Shea nut harvesting and marketing in the Feed the Future Zones of Influence of Mali by increasing and diversifying their sources of income through market driven production and marketing of beeswax;
2- Improve the apiculture value-chain to enable organic sourcing of beeswax and honey, and;
3- Increase the knowledge of the role and impact of bees on the pollination and yield of Shea trees.
The beeswax program will have one of the most direct impacts to economic empowerment as the program will give an alternative revenue source to 4 cooperative unions representing 60 cooperatives. These cooperatives main revenue source is primarily Shea, but with the addition of honey and beeswax, the cooperatives will have a value added product that is non-perishable and a product that is sold between March and May, which gives cooperatives another revenue stream during the year.
Zones of intervention: This initiative takes place in the southern regions of Mali, namely (the region of Sgou, the region of Sikasso, the region of Kayes, and the region of Koulikoro)
Partners: ICCO, ICRAF (the Worlds Agroforestry Centre), Olvea BF (private French company), cooperatives, BDS providers.
Expected Results:
1- 3000 women are trained in modern apiculture (honey and beeswax processing)
2- The cooperatives will be able to generate 4,500,000 FCFA ($8064) from selling wax to Olvea. This money comes as an addition to their normal activities.
3- The cooperatives will be able to generate 9,964,206 FCFA ($17,857) from selling honey. This money comes as an addition to their normal activities.
4- 3000 women will have diversified income and add a different value chain to their daily activities.