Tanzania: Beekeeping for Sustainable Livelihoods and Climate Resilience

This case study describes how a group of young women called Mashujaa in the Singida region of Tanzania transitioned from climate-vulnerable crop cultivation to beekeeping to build economic resilience against erratic rainfall patterns.

• In the Singida region of Tanzania, climate change is manifested through inconsistent and low rainfall, typically between 500 and 800 mm annually, which negatively impacts food supply, biodiversity, air quality, and the livelihoods of small-scale farmers.
• The Mashujaa group, consisting of young women in Uhamaka village, shifted from sunflower and maize cultivation to beekeeping after climate change caused low crop production and inadequate income. Beekeeping was selected because it is profitable, requires minimal supervision, and is less susceptible to climate variability than traditional agriculture.
• Technical support provided in 2019 by the Sustainable Environment Management Action (SEMA) and the Foundation of Netherlands Volunteers (SNV) through the Opportunity for Youth Employment program enabled the Mashujaa group to increase productivity. The group moved from ten local beehives producing 5-7 litres of honey each to adding 12 modern beehives that produce 20 litres of honey.
• The Mashujaa group overcame community gender stereotypes that viewed beekeeping—specifically climbing trees to install hives and harvest honey—as unfit for women. The group now serves as role models and intends to expand their markets into Kenya.

APA

Danny, J., Mnyororo, C., Hamisi, E., & Msumba, E. (2022). Tanzania: Beekeeping for Sustainable Livelihoods and Climate Resilience. Global Resilience Partnership. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/tanzania-beekeeping-for-sustainable-livelihoods-and-climate-resilience/

Chicago

Danny, Jerry, Charles Mnyororo, Emmanuel Hamisi, and Emmanuel Msumba. Tanzania: Beekeeping for Sustainable Livelihoods and Climate Resilience. Global Resilience Partnership, 2022. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/tanzania-beekeeping-for-sustainable-livelihoods-and-climate-resilience/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Danny |first1=Jerry |last2=Mnyororo |first2=Charles |last3=Hamisi |first3=Emmanuel |last4=Msumba |first4=Emmanuel |title=Tanzania: Beekeeping for Sustainable Livelihoods and Climate Resilience |publisher=Global Resilience Partnership |date=8 August 2022 |url=https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/tanzania-beekeeping-for-sustainable-livelihoods-and-climate-resilience/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{danny2022tanzania, author = {Danny, Jerry and Mnyororo, Charles and Hamisi, Emmanuel and Msumba, Emmanuel}, title = {{Tanzania: Beekeeping for Sustainable Livelihoods and Climate Resilience}}, institution = {Global Resilience Partnership}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/tanzania-beekeeping-for-sustainable-livelihoods-and-climate-resilience/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }