Changes in migration and production in Japan's beekeeping industry

Abstract

Japanese beekeepers migrate seasonally to find nectar-producing plants for honey production. This migration has two main purposes. First, the time lag of the flowering season in different locations lets beekeepers use a more diverse variety of nectar plants, and second, wintering and summering in warmer environments is vital in maintaining the activity of honeybees. However, within the past few decades, beekeepers have narrowed their sphere of migration and have developed new methods of generating income in addition to that from honey. These changes were closely related to a specific feature of the beekeeping industry, that is, the indirect use of natural resources. This study examines these current changes and their causes through statistical documents and interviews with 131 beekeepers. Approximately 30% of the 131 beekeepers interviewed have shifted their main destination from Western Japan to the Tohoku region within the last few decades. The interviews further revealed that this regional shift was primarily because major herbaceous plants used for honey production in Western Japan almost disappeared during the high-growth period. The Tohoku region, on the other hand, provides new areas for producing honey because the growth of acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), an invasive species but a profitable nectar plant, has been expanding there. As a result, traveling throughout Japan for honey production has been declining, and the areas used for beekeeping have been reduced to Eastern and Northern Japan. Further, the aging labor force and the lack of people from younger generations joining the industry are accelerating these trends. As honey production has declined, beekeepers have adopted new ways of earning to diversify their income. In particular, renting honeybees for the pollination of agricultural crops has become an important source of income for beekeepers. Although this income is lower than that from honey production, beekeepers can expect a steadier income from it. In relation to the patterns of migration for honey production, income from pollination has ambivalent effects. If a high demand for pollination exists in an area that is also a destination for honey production, beekeepers can supplement their earnings from honey production. On the other hand, if beekeepers can earn enough from pollination in a local area near their homes, they have no need to travel for honey production. Thus, the first factor has the effect of maintaining the seasonal migration of beekeepers, and the latter has the effect of restricting their migration. The beekeepers have endeavored to adopt diverse types of income generation considering the cost of travel and labor and the distribution of nectar plants. The Japanese beekeeping industry has flexibly responded to a change in the environment by altering its travel destinations and by establishing new methods of generating income. However, substantial problems still exist within the beekeeping industry; examples are inefficient conservation of resources and passive attitudes toward the degradation of the environment.