A French bee specimen donated in 1890 to the University of Buenos Aires, which is now preserved among the objects stored in the faculty’s beekeeping section. Africanized bees arrived in Latin America in the mid-20th century. Until then, biology curricula in Argentina were heavily influenced by the French educational model.
A wild Apis mellifera hive in a tree trunk. The Wichí communities are traditionally hunter-gatherers, and one of the resources they obtain is honey from native bees or, as in this case, from “creole” or wild bees. The hives are usually found inside the trunks of living trees, and once the honey has been extracted, the bees reorganize themselves to rebuild it.
Rosa Ceballos is the first woman to take up beekeeping in the El Espinillo region of Chaco. In these communities, beekeeping has traditionally been a male activity, as has the management of the local economy. A decade ago, Rosa challenged these norms and began working with her own beehives, becoming an example and inspiration for other women seeking economic autonomy.
One of Luchy Romero’s many beehives in the village of El Sauzalito. Luchy is one of the leaders of the Sauzalito beekeeping cooperative, a small town located 250 km from the nearest paved road. “If they are not beekeepers, they cut down the forest to sell the wood or move to the city. Through beekeeping, they obtain resources that they would not otherwise have,” she explains. There, 63 families have found in organic honey production a sustainable way out of poverty while preserving the forest. “Where there are beekeepers, no trees are cut down, because they understand the vital role of trees: without trees there are no flowers; without flowers, there is no nectar to sustain the bees.”
Esteban Cabrera, pastor, beekeeper, and qomleec of the El Algarrobal community, harvesting a hive of native bees known as Corta Pelo, named for their habit of biting hair when they feel threatened. In the Qom and Wichí traditions, collecting honey in the forest is an ancestral practice, generally intended for personal consumption. Whether from wild or native bees, harvesting is usually a community activity, rooted in shared knowledge and connection to the land.
Meliponas are native stingless bees, present in various species, most of which build their hives inside living trees. One of the best known in the region is the “rubiecita,” named for its light color. Although their production is modest, around 1 kg of honey per year, their cultural value is immense. For many indigenous communities, these bees represent not only a source of natural sweetness, but also an ancestral medicinal resource, deeply integrated into their traditional practices.
Argentina exports almost all of its honey production, as its consumption and use within the country is mainly limited to sweetener or remedy. In indigenous communities, honey is used both as a sweet food and as medicine, with applications ranging from its use as an antibiotic to the treatment of eye diseases.
Elga Ruiz and her family live in Espinillo, in a small, humble house several kilometers down a dirt road. The whole family works in beekeeping. While the harvest is not in, the family builds boxes and frames for the coming months. Here is her son Ivan with a frame on his head.
The color of honey is determined by the pollen that bees collect. Honey from the Chaco region, which comes from the dry forests of northwestern Argentina, tends to be darker. Argentina is the world’s third largest honey exporter, with the United States and Europe as its main markets. It is worth noting that the Argentine Chaco is one of the few regions in the world where organic honey is produced and certified for export.
“Deforestation causes climate change, species extinction, floods, droughts, desertification, disease, displacement of indigenous peoples and farmers, and loss of food, medicine, and timber. We are facing a clear climate and biodiversity emergency that should lead governments to act accordingly, banning deforestation instead of promoting it,” warned Noemí Cruz, coordinator of Greenpeace’s Forest campaign. According to Greenpeace, 103,816 hectares (1.3 times the area of Buenos Aires) were deforested in the north of the country during the first 10 months of 2024.
The impenetrable Chaco region in northern Argentina is a dry forest ecosystem threatened by deforestation. Many isolated communities have found beekeeping to be a sustainable alternative that not only generates income but also protects the forest: “Where there are beekeepers, not a single tree is cut down,” says Luchy Romero of Sauzalito.
However, the recent amendment to the Forest Law, promoted by the Chaco government, could expand deforestation to more than one million hectares, affecting biodiversity and honey production.
However, the recent amendment to the Forest Law, promoted by the Chaco government, could expand deforestation to more than one million hectares, affecting biodiversity and honey production. “If clearing continues, the hives will lose their food source,” warns expert Pablo Chapulina.
In a world where artificial honey floods the market, certified honey from the Argentine Chaco not only guarantees traceability, but also opens the debate on the environmental impact of food production. More than a product, it is an act of resistance: it preserves biodiversity, sustains local economies, and demonstrates that it is possible to produce without destroying. Eating honey is eating the forest.
This is a story of symbiosis: the cooperation between an ecosystem, its bees, and its humans.
