ANÁLISE DA PERSPECTIVA FEMININA NA APICULTURA: DESAFIOS E OPORTUNIDADES

Beekeeping is a growing activity in Brazil, particularly among small-scale producers within family farming. This study aims to analyze the reality of beekeeping from the perspective of women beekeepers in Bahia and northern Minas Gerais, identifying the main challenges, opportunities, and socio-economic impacts of the activity. This is a qualitative, descriptive, and empirical research based on a structured online questionnaire, answered by 76 women involved in beekeeping. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and organized into thematic categories. The results showed that most participants are between 31 and 50 years old and have completed high school or higher education. However, only 28% consider beekeeping as their main source of income, and the activity is predominantly carried out on a small scale, often with strong family support. Honey sales occur mostly informally, with low use of branding and lack of inspection seals. More than half of the beekeepers produce honey-derived products, such as propolis and soaps, but face barriers such as lack of certification, technical assistance, and limited access to credit. Key challenges include gender-related workload, lack of public policies, and infrastructure issues in distribution. It is concluded that although beekeeping offers potential for productive inclusion and income generation for rural women, its strengthening depends on public policies that promote technical training, access to credit, formalization of production, and recognition of the female role in the beekeeping value chain.