สำนักงานราชบัณทิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume IV - 2012 90  Royal Activity Her Majesty Queen Sirikit has a strong will to improve Thai villagers’ standard of living in a sustainable manner through hundreds of her royal initiative projects. One of such projects is beekeeping in the forest. Her Majesty stated that; “Traditional beekeeping including wild bees and giant honey bees is part of our national heritage that requires urgent research and conservation. Burning bee nests in order to obtain honey does not only demolish bee populations but also lead to severe annual wild fi re and forest destruction. Bees play a vital role in pollination of several plant species which are food sources and habitats of all wildlife. Therefore, without bees, there would be no fruits for human and animals, no fl owers, no forests, and eventually no water resources such as rivers and creeks or upstreams. As a result, I believe that wild bees are the key components that help maintain our forests and world environment. Hence, applied traditional bee hunting (without burning the beehive) will preserve bee populations and sustain the right balance of our ecosystem.” Based on this belief, “Wild Bee Keeping on the High Mountain Project” was established under Her Majesty’s patronage through collaboration between the Royal Thai Army and Royal Department of Forestry. The main goals of the project are to provide appropriate training for local bee hunters as well as educate them of conserva- tive honey harvesting and the role of bees in forest ecosystem. Organic Beekeeping (by Asian Apiculture Association 2010) General Principle Beekeeping is an important activity that contributes to the protection of the environment and agricultural and forestry production through the pollination action of bees. Recommended Practices • Hives should be made of natural materials that present no risk of contamination to the environment and bee products. Organic Honey of Thailand