Papua New Guinea has amazing potential for honey production, according to Australian researcher, Cooper Schouten.
Apiculture or bee farming has been happening at a low level for several generations in PNG, but Schouten, who is at Southern Cross University in New South Wales, said it could provide an additional income stream for many more farmers.
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He said beekeeping could mean rapid returns on investment, improvements in crop yields, doesn't require large areas of land and as complementary to other farming activities.
Schouten said a key factor for PNG was its biodiversity and it had amazing prospects.
"There's so much flora and bee-keeping is really dependent on the floral resources that are available and just the diversity and the abundance of floral resources for bees, particularly in Eastern Highlands, and up in the mountain regions, is just phenomenal."
Schouten pointed out beekeeping was also an alternative income stream that doesn't degrade the environment, is accessible to marginalised groups and gives many other benefits.
Schouten said this would require governments and other organisations to provide help but it should be done in a collaborative way.
"I think part of it is building really strong relationships in country and fostering those relationships, and working on problems that matter to local people." he said.
"We don't go in there with the notion that we have got the answers - no one knows what's going on when we turn up, and we really try to solve problems together. That means that the project is much more sustainable because they are owned by the local people," Schouten added.
