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HonOgiek: Geographical Indication for Traditional Honey of Mau Forest

The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and the members of a locally-based cooperative of beekeepers carry out a 3-years project with the aim of strengthening the capacities of value chain actors to establish and promote a geographical indication for the unique range of forest honey originating from the Mau mountain forest, in Eastern Kenya.

Project start date:

15/04/2023

Project end date:

14/04/2026

Objectives

  • Country
  • Kenya
  • Grant
  • 348 240 €

Location

Scope

  • Development of a legal and institutional framework to help the development of GIs
  • Capacity building of value chains stakeholders and GI support networks
  • Registration of pilot GIs and development of GI value chains

Description

Value Chain

The people living in and around the Mau forest, in Eastern Kenya, are known to produce a unique range of forest honey, throughout the year.

These communities are closely connected to their natural environment and beekeeping is an integral part of their livelihoods, whether they adopt traditional practices or more modern techniques. The characteristics of the vegetation of the mountain ecosystem gives the honey from Mau forest different colors, but unique organoleptic specifities throughout the year.

Honey from the Mau forest ©Tasteatlas

Partners

Timeline

  • Concept note: May 2022
  • Approuved : October 2022
  • Implementation: since 15/04/2023
  • Completion: 15/04/2026

Teams

Partnership

ICIPE: The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) is an international research organization developing and extending management tools and strategies for harmful and useful arthropods, with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

MACODEV: The Mariashoni Community Development Cooperative (MACODEV) is composed of 12 groups of beekeepers representing more than 400 bee farmers who produce, process and market the unique range of honey from the Mau Forest.  

Foundings

Activities

The HonOgiek project aims to enhance the capacities of value chain actors to establish and promote a geographical indication for the unique range of forest honey originating from the Mau forest in Kenya. The HonOgiek project will address the following specific objectives

  1. To co-design and enhance capacity among value chain stakeholders at different scales;
  2. To design and implement GI workflows for the range of honey, and to promote conservation of supporting ecosystem;
  3. To study market linkages and pilot GI implementation for domestic and export markets.

The HonOgiek project will emphasize the linkage between the honey, the prevailing landscape and vegetation characteristics and promote the conservation of the Mau forest ecosystem and vegetation with the surrounding communities.