Resource Centre

	The Bee Conservation Resource Center is your one stop comprehensive library of information, Video files, Video CDs, and other research materials on bees and bee related issues. The information contained below are briefs on the full contents of these resources. Please, follow the instruction provided for each item on the page. For example, for full text of the publication titled "The Untapped Billions from Bees", click on the green text "click here! ".
No	Title
1 >>	The Untapped Billions from Bees Nigeria's total earnings from oil since exploration began in 1958 have been put at N500 billion dollars. However, the statistics on the oil money was silent on the government investments in exploration. Also, the cost of socio-economic dislocations caused by oil exploration was not taken into consideration. For instance, the major effect of oil discovery in the country was mass abandonment of farming, which prompted rural-urban migration with its concomitant social implications like crime, traffic congestion, overcrowding, hunger and homelessness. In fact, rather than boom, oil has brought doom for Nigerians, though it is self-inflicted. Yet, the greatest victims of oil discovery in the country remain the people of Niger Delta, who bear the brunt of environmental problems that trail the exploration activities. For full text of publication, please click here!
2 >>	PROSPECTS OF HONEYBEE RESOURCE FOR FOOD SECURITY AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION Agriculture: The problems of food security in the developing countries bother more on inadequate supply and non-affordability of food items. In Africa, and some parts of Latin America and Asia, many people do not have the luxury of worrying about whether their food is safe or healthful as is the case in the developed world. Rather, the poor rural people in the developing nations are pre-occupied with finding enough food just to survive. For full text of publication, please click here!
3 >>	BEE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Notwithstanding the resources at the disposal of man and the industrial revolution facilitated by science and technology, humanity is not totally free from poverty in its different perspectives. Even the almighty America contends with increased poverty rate among her citizens. According to the US Census Bureau, the pool of poor people in America increased by 1.7million in 2002 from 32.9million to 34.6million people. In other words, about 12.1 percent of the US populations are poor. According to International fund for Agricultural Development IFAD about 1.3billion people live below poverty line worldwide. Yet, poverty implies other deprivations such as lack of income for food, shelter, education health care safe drinking water etc. In fact, statistics on the level of poverty around the world are quite chilling: 1.2billion people are homeless; 1.7billion people live in darkness; 4.2billion people are illiterates; 1.2billion people do not have safe dirking water and 1.1billion people go to bed hungry. The International Alliance Against hunger put hunger related deaths at 24,000 per day globally. Sadly too, conflicts, wars and diseases especially HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and other cardio vascular diseases compound the problems of man. For full text of publication, please click here!
4 >>	BEES AND FOOD SECURITY Food security, in simple terms, is the adequate supply of wholesome foods to people at affordable prices. In other words, food security has three key components - availability, affordability and safety. But in spite of abundant human and material resources around the globe, humanity has not been able to achieve food security in all its ramifications. In the developed world, foods are available in quantum and cheap, but there are great concerns about safety of foods especially the genetically modified GM stocks. In contrast, safety of foods is not much of a problem in the developing countries. Rather, people contend with inadequate supply and high cost of foods. The consequences of food insecurity in Europe and America are diet - induced diseases like cancer and cardio vascular disorders, while food security in the developing nations manifests in form of widespread hunger, malnutrition and starvation. According to International Alliance Against Hunger, 24,000 people die of hunger everyday in developing nations. For full text of publication, please click here!
5 >>	The Honey Side of Valentine Universally, honey connotes love, which is the basis of Valentine celebration. In other words, honey and valentine are inseparable and love is the connecting bridge. Honey is love and love is honey. Little wonder lovers call themselves honey. The period lovers savour soon after tying the nuptial knot is also called honeymoon. In a way, honeymoon consolidates love. Even by the nature of its origin, honey is a product of parts of the plants (flowers), which are wholly pervaded by love. For full text of publication, please click here!
6 >>	Bee Antidote to Cancer The Television, Computers, Mobile Phones and other gadgets of the new information age have no doubt transformed the world into a global village but little do the users know of the dangers posed by the regular radiation emitting from these electronic devices to sensitive organs like the brain, liver and the eyes. The Bee, one of the world's treasured insects seems to have the antidote. The benefits of science and technology include television, computers and mobile phones, but the use of these devices is not without price for the modern man. They emit radiation, which harms the body cells especially in sensitive organs like the brain, liver and the eyes. However, the exposure of modern man to the effects of radiation and its attendant impact on health is not restricted to TV, computers and the mobile phone. Sadly too, most of our foods are laced with toxins and chemical pollutants in the course of production and processing. For instance, pesticide (farm chemical) was linked to the contamination of Indomie noodles, which caused health scare nationwide a couple of weeks ago. Laboratory analysis of the noodles by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC revealed that some batches of the chicken flavour brand was contaminated with carbon furan, a pesticide used in agriculture at level above the acceptable limits. For full text of publication, please click here!
7 >>	LINKAGE OF BEEKEEPING TO OPTIMUM PRODUCTIVITY IN LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY Bee and its products can significantly improve productivity in the livestock industry through the perspectives of nutrition, disease control and meat processing. Numerous animal studies and clinical trials on the nutritional and hormonal content of honey, royal jelly and propolis confirmed that the can be used to fatten animals and birds. For instance, fruit flies when fed with royal jelly underwent an enormous increase in size. In addition, their rate of reproduction and lifespan also increased dramatically. Similar results were obtained with mice, chicken rooster and pigs. Royal jelly added to the diets of these animals significantly increased the lifespan, sexual activity and fertility of all groups as opposed to animals fed their normal diets. Egg production in the chickens fed royal jelly actually doubled. In Nepal and South Africa, cattle are fed honey for better milk. Feeds for birds can be spiced with honey and drone larva to speed up their growth. A study done at the Department of Animal Science, University of Ege, Turkey on the effects of propolis should be used as feed additive for calves to ensure better result on growth. Old hens with royal jelly started laying again. For full text of publication, please click here!
8 >>	BEEKEEPING AND RURAL POVERTY REDUCTION Bees hold the key to sustainable human development especially in the rural communities. Unlike crude oil and other minerals, bees can be exploited in a sustainable manner for economic purposes without licenses or other legal encumbrances from government. All the rural people need is the skill to tend the bees for sustainable honey production to generate income; boost crop yields and improve their nutritional and health status. In addition, bee resource has the greatest potentials for integrated poverty reduction, because bees can be explored to create wealth as well as redressing health care, unemployment, hunger and environmental problems that are critically linked to poverty. For full text of publication, please click here!
9 >>	Abstract Unlocking the Grip of HIV/AIDS on Humanity with Honeybee Resource AIDS poses a big threat to human capital and economic development particularly in the developing countries. For instance, AIDS decimates sexually active and productive segment of the population with dire consequences on agriculture, which is the core of their economics. This causes poverty, hunger, starvation, malnutrition, diseases and high mortality. In other words, poverty exacerbates HIV/AIDS scourge in Africa and parts of Asia. However, given the holocaust nature of HIV/AIDS, there is need for holistic plan of action to take care of the medical, nutritional and economic needs of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). But unknown to many, it is only the honeybee resource that can accommodate such holistic plan of action for PLWHA. For instance, there is a strong link between honeybee and sustainable human development, which encompasses health, nutrition and economic empowerment. Honeybee plays vital roles to agriculture, the source of food, which is an essential component of comprehensive HIV/AIDS management strategy. Honey and other bee products are the richest source of micronutrients, which reinforce the body natural resistance to infections. Also, the effectiveness of bee products against bacteria, fungi and viruses including HIV has been scientifically established. For full text of publication, please click here!
10 >>	Abstract Beekeeping: The key to Economic Development and Poverty Reduction in Africa The current level of economic development and growth in Africa can neither engender sustainable human development nor achieve the United Nations goal of halfing poverty by 2015. Rather, Africa is beset with hunger, starvation, poverty, unemployment, diseases and high mortality. Worse yet, HIV/AIDS scourge is a further threat to rural Africa, decimating the continent workforce, thus compounding the poverty situation. However, one reality the African Governments have not faced in their economic recovery plans is the fact that agriculture is the basis of any meaningful economic development. After all, more than 80 per cent of the African population live in the rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. More importantly, agriculture is the only sector that can tackle poverty and hunger in concrete terms because it guarantees food security and ensures economic empowerment. Given this fact, it is logical and rational that agriculture must be the thrust of the New Partnership for Africa Development NEPAD economic recovery plan, if Africa is serious about achieving economic prosperity to bail out her people from crushing poverty. Moreover, sustainable agriculture is also a veritable resource base for industrialization particularly small and medium enterprises SMEs in the rural communities. Yet, beekeeping is a key component of sustainable agriculture. Beekeeping is not only a sustainable rural oriented agriculture activity; it also has positive impact on the other forms of farming including animal production and care. For full text of publication, please click here!
11 >>	TACKLING FOOD CRISIS AND RURAL POVERTY WITH HONEYBEE RESOURCE It is doubtful if any other thing threatens the soul of humanity as hunger and poverty. About 1.2 billion people are extremely poor out of which 75 percent live in the rural areas. Yet poverty implies hunger because poor people, particularly in the developing countries cannot afford adequate and wholesome food to keep their body and soul together. Consequently, hunger, starvation and malnutrition are pervasive and cause high mortality especially among the children and the aged. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report 2000, about 30,000 children die every day from preventable causes like malnutrition. In effect, the grinding poverty and biting hunger especially in Africa, South East Asia and some parts of Latin America pose a big threat to the survival and well being of humanity. The September 11 terrorist attack in the United States is instructive. Similarly, the unending armed conflicts in many parts of Africa have their roots in poverty, hunger and unemployment. An hungry man they say is an angry man. For full text of publication, please click here!