Search

Abstract Among the hive products of stingless bees (SB), honey is distinguished because it has different physicochemical properties than the honey produced by Apis mellifera. Its taste is more acidic and less sweet, and it naturally contains a higher percentage of water. Honey is one of the most frequently adulterated products marketed. Therefore, this work aimed to verify if the qualitative tests performed for A. mellifera honey are also valid for SB honey from Tetragonisca angustula, Melipona quadrifasciata, and Tetragona elongata and if they can detect the most common adulterations. Adulterations of SB honey with corn syrup, inverted sugar, and A. mellifera honey were simulated and tested with Lugol, Fiehe, and Lund reactions. For these three analyses, sample volume reduction was also tested. The Lund test did not work well with honey samples from SB because they have a higher water content, and reliable results could not be obtained. For the other two tests, the sample volume reduction used was efficient. The Fiehe test detected adulteration with corn syrup only. The Lugol test detected corn syrup and inverted sugar adulterations in all dilutions for all three SB species. No adulteration by added water or honey from A. mellifera was detected in any test. Therefore, using the qualitative Lugol’s reaction test to evaluate SB honey quality is reasonably affordable. Since it is a rapid and inexpensive test, it allows the development of production chains for SB honey. Thus, detecting inauthentic honey can be done by combining qualitative tests as the first screening, followed by quantitative tests if necessary.

The American stingless bees species have been used in management and breeding practices by local civilizations since the pre-Columbian era. Currently, many of these species are managed commercially and maintained in meliponaries. However, divergences exist among authors about the ecological utility of these practices. Some argue that meliponaries could serve to maintain local biodiversity while others argue that they have the opposite effect. Due to pressure from beekeepers and environmentalists there are efforts to draft specific rules that legislate production and market focusing on conservating native bees. In recent years, these norms have become more specific due to the use of empirical data from the scientific community and demands from social groups and producers. This paper presents a revision on Brazilian legislation as well its applicabilities and proposes alterations in the Environmental Crimes Law.

Abstract Meliponiculture, which is the rational keeping of stingless bees, has been practiced for centuries by pre-colonial populations and has been gaining adepts in recent years. In addition to being an alternative for the conservation of these pollinators, it is an activity that promotes sustainability. From a theoretical point of view, disciplinary approaches are insufficient to understand meliponiculture, due to the multiplicity of Domains and aspects that compose it. Thus, this manuscript proposes a theoretical model to analyze meliponiculture in an interdisciplinary way, dealing with the environmental, cultural, social and economic Domains. Such activity should be encouraged through participatory and interdisciplinary public policies, integrating the various factors involved, such as honey farmers (meliponists), scientists, governments, companies and non-governmental organizations. Public policy approaches to meliponiculture as an economic activity must respect the conservation needs of the stingless bee species, and whenever possible, the social and cultural values attributed to the activity.