Safeguarding Native Stingless Bees: Protectors of Amazonian Biodiversity

By the ELC Team with Brian Mageo-Sausser

Credit: Luis García

The Amazon rainforest is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, and its health plays a pivotal role in global climate regulation. A little-known but crucial element in Amazonian ecology is the role played by Amazonian Stingless Bees (ASBs).

Almost half of the approximately 500 species of stingless bees in the world are found in the Amazon rainforest, and they are critical to pollinating native flora and regenerating degraded ecosystems (Camargo et al., 2007, cited in Delgado et al., 2020b; Nogueira-Neto, P., 2002, cited in Athayde et al., 2016). The health of the Amazon relies heavily upon the health of these species.

In addition to this significant ecological value, these guardians of Amazonian biodiversity hold tremendous sociocultural, medicinal, and even familial significance in Amazonian Indigenous communities, who use their traditional knowledge to act as biodiversity guardians (Delgado et al., 2023b, p. 7).

In this blog post, we look at the role ASBs play in ensuring a healthy Amazonia and at an internationally recognized ongoing project, Safeguarding Amazonian Stingless Bees. Begun in Peru in 2023, the project is led by Amazon Research Internacional (ARI), working collaboratively with the Earth Law Center (ELC), Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Reserva Comunal EcoAsháninka, and the Kukama-Kukamiria Indigenous communities of Loreto.

The project integrates scientific, traditional, and legal knowledge. Its initiatives include adopting a Declaration of Rights for Native Stingless Bees, collecting data to help create technical standards and regulations to support stingless beekeeping, mapping an initial 150,000 hectares of the Amazon, and recognizing the crucial role of Indigenous Peoples' traditional knowledge in enhancing our understanding of stingless bee populations (Prieto et al., 2025).

By bridging traditional knowledge with scientific research and ecocentric legal reform efforts, Safeguarding Amazonian Stingless Bees seeks to drive the necessary change to protect ASBs, promote ecocentric legislation, restore ecological balance, and ensure the sustainability of the communities that depend on the bees’ vital ecosystem services.

The Importance of ASBs

Life on Earth would be fundamentally different without pollinators, who play a critical role in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem stability. Approximately 90% of wild plant species rely on animal pollinators for successful reproduction, and over 75% of the world’s major food crops depend on these species to sustain both yield and quality (IPBES, 2016, p. 16). Among these pollinators, bees are undoubtedly the most important species. Their ability to transport large numbers of pollen grains on their hairy bodies, reliance on floral resources, and the semi-social nature they manifest have enabled bees, especially wild ones, to play a significant role in the pollination of over 90% of the world’s top 107 crops (Klein et al, 2018, p. 82; Patel et al, 2021, p. 49; Prieto et al., 2025). 

Credit: Luis García

Of the approximately 500 species of stingless bees that have been identified, about 80% inhabit tropical and subtropical ecosystems like the Amazon rainforest (Camargo et al., 2007, cited in Delgado et al., 2020b). These bees play a fundamental role in the pollination of native flora and in the regeneration of degraded ecosystems, being responsible for the pollination of about 80% of tropical plant species. 

ASBs not only play a vital role in the balance of Amazonian ecosystems but also are integral to the social structure and cultural traditions of Amazonian communities. Indigenous Peoples in South America have practiced meliponiculture (beekeeping of stingless bees) for many centuries, extracting honey and wax for tools, musical instruments, and medicine (Crane, E., 1999, p. 17). The ASBs are so important to the Indigenous communities of the Amazon that many have attributed spiritual meanings to stingless bee products, and some have even taken their colonies as models of organization (Quezada et al, 2018, p. 539, 540). The Asháninka—one of the Indigenous Peoples with whom the Safeguarding Amazonian Stingless Bees project is working—have their meliponiculture documented in the 2025 short film “La colmena asháninka,” (“The Asháninka Beehive”).

Threats to Amazonian Stingless Bees

Despite their intrinsic value, their cultural and spiritual significance to Amazonian Indigenous Peoples, and their enormous contributions to the health and wellbeing of  Amazonian ecosystems, ASBs face daily threats that endanger their populations and habitats. Human activities such as excessive use of pesticides, deforestation and land conversion, and the introduction of competing species have all degraded ASB habitats and diminished their numbers, even as climate change increasingly compromises the ecological balance of the whole Amazon. 

Credit: Luis García

These same risk factors have also affected Indigenous meliponiculture practices. Communities have begun to abandon them because of increasing colony mortality rates caused by extreme floods, increased temperature, droughts, and other factors. The proper maintenance of colonies has become more and more difficult, and as the quality and quantity of helpful ASB products decreases,  meliponiculture becomes less economically viable for traditional communities. 

The increased threats to ASBs and to the Indigenous cultures of stingless beekeeping have led to a lack of knowledge and ability in younger generations, further compromising the preservation of biodiversity and cultural heritage. The recovery and bolstering of knowledge about the importance of these stingless bees is thus vital for the protection of the Amazon and of Amazonian Indigenous life-ways (Prieto et al., 2025).

Legal Challenges and Progress

The ecological importance of ASBs, and the traditional knowledge that has sustained human-bee relationships for centuries, has been overlooked. The native stingless bees and their traditional protectors are largely excluded from legal and institutional frameworks, and pushed out of cultural awareness, leaving them invisible and unprotected. For instance, most legislation regulating bees focuses on the honey production of honeybees. Because these frameworks fail to recognize the intrinsic value of bees and their value to ecosystems, native stingless bees don't even receive the marginal benefits afforded to honeybees by agricultural interests in many parts of the world. 

Now is the time to improve the cultural recognition and legal protection for ASBs. There are encouraging signs about the potential for this to happen. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022), for example, promotes ecosystem protection in ways that could directly benefit ASBs. And the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) emphasizes the need to strengthen legal frameworks to regulate the use of agrochemicals, integrate pollinator conservation into public policy, promote sustainable agriculture practices, and incorporate traditional Indigenous knowledge into pollinator management. 

Bees have even more direct recognition and protection through judicial cases that have ordered the protection and preservation of bees (Colombia, 2018) and through specific legislation protecting stingless bees (Brazil). 

The challenges in protecting and managing stingless bees are significant, but recent efforts mark crucial progress in recognizing their ecological importance. The Safeguarding Amazonian Stingless Bees project, for example, has already made significant strides in increasing awareness of ASBs’ ecological importance amongst Peruvian policy makers and conservationists. By offering workshops on regenerative beekeeping, Biocultural Community Protocols, and the Rights of Nature, the project is fostering leadership, sustainability, and the meaningful involvement of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making processes (Prieto et al., 2025).

Multidisciplinary Approach to Protecting Amazonian Stingless Bees

The Safeguarding Amazonian Stingless Bees project currently focuses on the Peruvian Amazon, where it seeks to map bee populations, assess threats, and engage communities. The findings and results of the project will be used to carry out similar initiatives in Bolivia and Colombia. 

Science and Indigenous Knowledge

The cornerstone for efforts to raise awareness about stingless bees and influence decision-makers at all levels is the integration of scientific research with the ancestral knowledge of the Asháninka and Kukama-Kukamiria Indigenous Peoples. 

It is often the case that Indigenous Peoples and local communities value Nature through unique worldviews and locally rooted practices, offering perspectives that are critical for enriching this project and environmental valuation processes (Demetrio et al., 2024). The traditional knowledge and biocultural indicators, which combine ecological metrics with cultural practices of stewardship, reveal both the tangible and intangible benefits that biodiversity provides (IPBES, 2019, p. 19). 

However, current policy frameworks often fail to account for these diverse values, focusing instead on a narrow range of metrics. This exclusion undermines biodiversity conservation efforts and jeopardizes the well-being of both present and future generations. 

To bridge this gap, the project records and honors traditional knowledge, aiming to integrate it into the development of this initiative and future conservation policies that respect the Asháninka and Kukama-Kukamiria biocultural heritage. 

The traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples is crucial in enhancing our understanding of the roles that ASBs play in the maintenance of biodiversity and cultural wellbeing. In order to ensure that this knowledge is respected, the project is committed to creating a Biocultural Community Protocol (BCP) prior to any research.

Credit: Adrián Portugal

In this case, the BCP seeks to serve as a set of guidelines designed to protect the communities’ traditional knowledge related to biodiversity conservation, stingless bees, and meliponiculture. The protocol will help to regulate third-party access to genetic resources and the traditional wisdom surrounding meliponiculture and product development. This ensures active community involvement in decision-making and guarantees culturally appropriate consultation. It will also help to foster the transmission of knowledge about ASBs, benefiting both present and future generations, while promoting the preservation of a harmonious relationship with these species.

Credit: Adrián Portugal

In addition to promoting the welfare of stingless bees in mainstream environmental legislation, the project also seeks to widen policy makers’ understanding of ASBs’ value through the incorporation of the traditional knowledge of the Asháninka communities. 

While Indigenous knowledge is vital for the inclusion of ASBs in conservation efforts, science also plays an indispensable role in identifying environmental challenges and justifying the regulations needed to address them. It defines the rights required to mitigate these challenges, supports the documentation of Rights of Nature violations, and provides critical evidence during legal proceedings, forming the foundation for informed judicial decisions.

By addressing both ecological and cultural dimensions of conservation, Safeguarding Amazonian Stingless Bees advocates for policy reforms that recognize the intrinsic value of these species. The initiative cultivates an inclusive and ecocentric approach, contributing to the development of sustainable conservation practices that are both scientifically rigorous and culturally sensitive (Prieto et al., 2025).

The Rights of Native Bees

The current regulatory framework fails to address the complex threats driving bee population decline, reflecting the limitations of Western legal systems rooted in human-centered economic priorities. In contrast, Earth Law, including the Rights of Nature, recognizes Nature’s intrinsic value and interconnectedness, asserting that natural entities like bees should have fundamental rights. These include the right to exist, maintain healthy populations, live in a pollution-free environment, and access native flora for survival. Bees should also have the right to perform essential ecological functions and receive restoration support through practices like meliponiculture and reforestation. This is why the creation and adoption of a Declaration of Rights for Native Stingless Bees is a central pillar of the Safeguarding Amazonian Stingless Bees Project (Prieto et al., 2025).

An ecocentric legal framework prioritizes ecosystem health, positioning the Rights of Bees as essential to environmental governance. The Rights of Nature offer a powerful legal tool to protect ecosystems and species like bees while promoting inclusive environmental decision-making, particularly for marginalized Indigenous communities. This aligns with the project, which collaborates with Asháninka and Kukama-Kukamiria communities to integrate Indigenous perspectives, protect pollinators, and strengthen the connection between biodiversity, cultural heritage, and ecological resilience.

Conclusion

Peru’s recent reform of its Law No. 32235 acknowledges native bees as being of national interest. This is promising, but it stops short of establishing a truly ecocentric framework (Delgado et al, 2023a, pp. 1149-1153). To properly safeguard the Rights of Bees and their intrinsic value, an ecocentric approach is needed. 

The protection of native stingless bees is an essential climate solution, given that the Peruvian Amazon holds more than 33 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent (Rainforest Trust, 2024). 

At its heart, this initiative empowers local communities, particularly the Asháninka and Kukama-Kukamiria Peoples, who have long been stewards of the rainforest, and it is far more than the protection of a single species; it embodies a vision for transformative change. 

By weaving together Indigenous knowledge, legal reform, and scientific innovation, the project sets a roadmap for sustainable development and harmony with Nature. Its legacy will endure, securing the future of Amazonian stingless bees and empowering the communities that rely on them to thrive for generations to come.

Please consider donating to show your support of this project (select “Latin America Program” from the “Designate your gift” dropdown).

For institutional or major gifts, please look at our concept note for the project and contact ELC Latin America Program Director Constanza Prieto-Figelist for questions or next steps.

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