This post is also available in: Español Français Portuguese (Brazil)
Meliponiculture may be a mouthful for many, but for Ysa Calderón, raising and breeding stingless bees is part of how she gives back to her community.
A Quechua descendant from the Lambayeque region in northern Peru, Calderón is a conservationist, chemical engineer, ecopreneur and stingless beekeeper who threads her Indigenous heritage and knowledge into everything she does.
In 2017, she founded the environmental enterprise Sumak Kawsay, which works to preserve and conserve native stingless bees and other pollinators, bolster local livelihoods and implement land restoration doing applied research to recover their habitat.
Sumak Kawsay draws upon local Indigenous wisdom to conserve native pollinators and guide agroecological practices.
The organization also works with local women to earn income from honey production and agritourism. Some of the earnings from selling honey and panela sugars are invested into restoring their mountain ecosystem by reforesting the area with native plants.
“In rural areas like Salas, Lambayeque, women often face limited economic opportunities despite playing a crucial role in food production and environmental stewardship,” Calderón explains.
“We created a space where women could take leadership roles, gain financial independence and become key actors in conservation through our agritourism service The Bee Honey Route, a transformative experience that invites us to connect with nature, discover the ancestral medicine of bees and empower rural and peasant women.”
In May 2025, Calderón will help launch the Women Guardians of Native Bees program, designed to further strengthen women and youth through the production of medicinal and sustainable honey.
“I believe that when we invest in community-led solutions, we are not just protecting nature – we are shaping a more just, resilient and hopeful future for all.”
Calderón was awarded the 2024 Midori Prize for Biodiversity for her work with Sumak Kawsay.
