With the objective of promoting the exchange of information and experiences among beekeepers of Cayo Quality Honey Producers Cooperative Society Limited (CQHPC) of Belize and the Beekeepers Network of Bala’an K’aax, a meeting took place in Ejido Sabana San Francisco, Quintana Roo, Mexico, from April 18 to 21, 2018.

The activities and topics were oriented towards strengthening aspects of organic beekeeping, organizational development and marketing / added value of organic honey. The event was attended by members of CQHPC, Friends of Vaca Forest Reserve, Belize Marketing and Development Corporation, the Cooperatives Directorate of Belize and the Organic Beekeepers Network of Bal’an K’aax.

The Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna de Bala’an K’aax (APFFBK) of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and the GIZ Selva Maya Program of, the German Cooperation were in charge of coordinating the exchange visit.

At the end of the activities, the Belizean visitors recognized having acquired new ideas on techniques of organic beekeeping as well as organization management. The president of CQHPC assumed the responsibility of communicating to all the members of the cooperative regarding the advantages of organic management and to analyze the cooperative´s management, to make it more active and efficient. The Organic Beekeepers Network of Bal’an K’aax expressed its satisfaction when realizing that they have acquired skills to offer in situ workshops on organic beekeeping.