A word about Rafter Beekeeping in NW Cambodia...

A tradition hidden from the outside world until 2004, rafter beekeeping has been practiced in the shadow of Angkor Wat possibly since the days of Suryavarman II—no one knows for sure.

What is known is that Rafter Beekeeping in the Siem Reap area is confined now to just a few villages—villages where the traditional practice of one-cut-take-all harvesting, combined with habitant loss and the introduction and often generous use of agricultural pesticides, is taking its toll on the local honeybee population. Honey-hunters and rafter-beekeepers here have noticed the decline for years. They just accepted it. But they now realize that they can actually do something about it. The decisions they make are beginning to impact their world.

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