A cadeia produtiva do mel associada ao reflorestamento em Guaratinga-BA

Abstract

Bees play an essential role in maintaining ecosystems and ensuring food security, as they are responsible for pollinating both native and cultivated plant species. The reduction of native vegetation has brought beekeeping activities closer to agricultural and forested areas, revealing new productive arrangements and challenges for environmental and rural sustainability. In this context, the main objective of this study is to analyze the honey production chain associated with reforested areas in the municipality of Guaratinga, Bahia, Brazil. To achieve this objective, the study was developed in three complementary stages: a systematic literature review, which examined how the relationship between beekeeping, stingless beekeeping, and reforestation has been addressed in scientific research; a documentary analysis focused on Laws No. 14,639/2023 and No. 13,680/2018, related to national policy and the certification of apicultural and stingless beekeeping products; and an empirical stage based on semi-structured interviews, observation, and thematic analysis. This stage aimed to understand the functioning and structure of the honey production chain at the local level, with emphasis on legal, sanitary, and environmental constraints affecting the formalization and valorization of local production, as well as to analyze the relationship between honey production areas and reforested territories, considering the role of different institutional actors involved. The results indicate that the honey production chain in the municipality presents an established organizational and functional structure at the local level, articulating reforested areas, native vegetation, and the collective organization of beekeepers as the foundation of the activity. It is concluded that the association between the honey production chain and reforested areas constitutes a central element of local productive dynamics, contributing to income generation, productive land use, and environmental valorization, although sanitary, institutional, and market-related limitations still restrict its expansion and economic valorization within the territory.