Stingless bees in the Amazon have been around for millions of years and produce honey that has enormous medical value, Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, Founder and Executive Director of Amazon Research Internacional, explains in her captivating DLD26 presentation.
“They actually pollinate more than 80% of the Amazon flora, including crops that we all consume here”, she says, from coffee and cacao to avocados, blueberries and many other plants “that sustain the living jungles that we need for our entire planet.”
A chemical analysis of the bees’ honey confirms what indigenous communities have long known: the honey contains “hundreds of medicinal molecules”, Dr. Vásquez Espinoza, a chemical biologist, explains. This has dramatically increased its market value, “which started a whole wave of indigenous positive economies throughout the Amazon.”
Watch the video to explore this fascinating talk in detail.
