HappyCulture, an innovative approach to beekeeping

After spending nearly four years in Morocco looking for opportunities, a young Mamadou Cery Barry returned to his country, Guinea. He opted to pursue beekeeping on his farm in Ditinn, located within the municipality of Mamou in Middle Guinea.

In March 2019, he attended a seven-month training programme on modern beekeeping offered by the Happy Culture programme, a joint initiative of the International Trade Centre (ITC) and local incubator Jatropha Hub. The programme delved into the construction and installation of modern beehives, latest honey producing and harvesting methods.

Making sure that the bees were doing well, healthy and disease-free was part of his training where he also learned the importance and working techniques of packaging and marketing.

‘This training gives me the opportunity to significantly increase my income by becoming part of a new generation of beekeepers in Guinea,’ Cery Berry said. ‘From now on we will use modern tools and approaches for an improved harvest, top-quality products and good environmental practices.’

The Happy Culture programme has trained around 20 beekeepers in five partner farms located in Saala, Ditinn, Mamou (Middle Guinea) and Kindia (Lower Guinea) since its launch in March. It is now being rolled out in other regions in the country through partnerships with institutions such as the Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture et de l’Elevage (ENAE) in Kankan. The aim is to revive the sector, provide opportunities for entrepreneurship and create jobs.

‘Assistance in the capacity building of our youth has helped increased employment opportunities for them in the Guinean agricultural sector,’ said Alpha Bacar Barry, founder of Jatropha Hub. ‘Happy Culture will eventually revive the beekeeping industry in the country.’

Mamoudou and his fellow trainees will pass on their skills and training to youth interested in taking up beekeeping. Introduction to this specialized vocation provides an opportunity to him, many others run sustainable, and profitable businesses, create jobs and protect biodiversity and the environment.

This initiative is implemented within the framework of the INTEGRA Program funded by the European Union.