Small insects, big business: women turn bee hobby into source of income in ES

Women turn their hobby for bees into natural products and a source of income in ES
Nursing technician Kátia dos Santos could have given up on bees after suffering an anaphylactic shock caused by an insect sting. The condition was so serious that she had to undergo two years of treatment. But abandoning the activity was never an option. "I took the treatment so I wouldn't have to leave beekeeping."
Five years after leaving the health sector, Kátia works with bee keeping, produces cosmetics made with honey, propolis and other products from hives, and also travels to different states training producers and people interested in investing in the activity, as a hobby or source of income.
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"If I didn't get treatment, it would be unfeasible. I took the beekeeping poison itself. bee once a week in the form of an injection. I was persistent. You have to like it. Because once you enter this area, you don't want to leave", said Kátia Abelha, as she is known in São Domingos do Norte, in the northwest of Espírito Santo. entrepreneurship and life change.
Systems analyst and developer Luana Pimentel, lawyer Eva Pires Dutra, physiotherapist Giovana Branco and Kátia herself followed different paths until reaching the same destination: they found a new business possibility in bees.
In common, they all invested in knowledge before transforming the activity into a source of income.
Systems analyst and developer Luana Pimentel had her first contact with bees more than a decade ago
Ricardo Medeiros/Rede Gazeta
From programming to meliponiculture
Systems analyst and developer Luana Pimentel had her first contact with bees more than a decade ago, after moving to a house in Aracruz, in the North of Espírito Santo.
What started as a personal interest and an escape valve for everyday life soon turned into an activity that now occupies a large part of his routine.
"I'm in the programming field, it has nothing to do with nature. But I got involved and fell in love with this world of bees", he said.
Women make soaps, candles, moisturizers and other products using honey, propolis, geopropolis and beeswax.
Ricardo Medeiros/Rede Gazeta
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He looked for training courses, because it wasn't enough to just enjoy the activity. She also participated in training offered by industry associations and went through entrepreneurship programs.
Currently, she is studying postgraduate studies in Agribusiness Management and dreams of creating a family agribusiness.
In addition to honey production, Luana invests in soaps, candles, artisanal drinks and other products derived from bees. She also works as an environmental educator, bringing knowledge about native stingless bees to schools.
According to her, participation in the Capixabas Meliponicultores Association was fundamental to expanding technical knowledge and seeing new business opportunities.
"Bees completely changed my life. These little animals did great things and changed my path", she said.
Luana also highlighted that the market has increasingly valued artisanal and sustainable products, which was an incentive for more to undertake in the area.
"People want to know the origin of what they consume.

When you combine environmental conservation, artisanal production and quality, the product gains value", he said.
Lawyer Eva Pires Dutra started raising stingless bees on a property in Domingos Martins, in the Serrana region of Espírito Santo
Ricardo Medeiros/Rede Gazeta
The hobby that can turn into a business
Lawyer Eva Pires Dutra, aged 53, represents another stage of this entrepreneurial journey. About a year and a half ago, she started raising bees without sting on a property in Domingos Martins, in the mountainous region of the state.
Production is still small and aimed at own consumption, but plans already include the sale of honey and propolis. "Today, it is still more of a hobby, but the objective is to have a commercial production of honey and propolis", she said, already thinking ahead.
To prepare, Eva sought training and started to participate in groups of breeders. According to the lawyer, exchanging experiences with other producers has been as important as the ones. courses.
"I learn a lot from other creators. The exchange of experiences is very important and makes us grow consistently in the activity", she said.
Bees inspire women to undertake and create new businesses in Espírito Santo
Ricardo Medeiros/Rede Gazeta
She explained that the main difficulty lies in the time needed to consolidate production. "The production of stingless bees is small. It is necessary to form several colonies to reach a quantity that allows commercialization."
Even so, he believes that the activity has economic and environmental potential.
"Meliponiculture is promising not only for the sale of honey, propolis and other products, but also for pollination services. Where there are bees, production increases", he highlighted.
Physiotherapist Giovana Branco overcame professional burnout by creating a beekeeping company
Ricardo Medeiros/Rede Gazeta
A new career after professional burnout
Physiotherapist Giovana Branco came to beekeeping at a time of life change. After facing professional burnout, she began looking for alternatives linked to health, well-being and the use of products natural.
"I started looking for something more natural to guide my patients. That's how I discovered green propolis and became interested in bees", he said.
The initial interest turned into a business. To structure the activity, Giovana sought mentoring, technical courses and training programs aimed at entrepreneurship.
She created the company, set up a production structure and achieved certifications to commercialize the products.
The result came quickly. In a competition held during the Brazilian Congress of Beekeepers and Meliponiculturists, in Florianópolis, the honey produced by the company won third place nationally.
"It was a huge source of pride. We competed with producers from all over Brazil. This showed that it is possible to grow when there is dedication and training", she stated.
For Giovana, the search for knowledge is permanent. She believes that the activity can represent an opportunity for other women who wish to undertake.
"Beekeeping and meliponiculture are sustainable and profitable activities. Honey is just the beginning. There are many possibilities for working with bee products", she said.
Kátia Abelha gives cosmetics courses using bee products in Espírito Santo
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From student to instructor
If for some of these women keeping bees began as a hobby or supplement to their income, for Kátia the activity ended up becoming a new profession in São Domingos do Norte, where she lives.
After leaving nursing, she began to study the different uses of bee products. hives and specialized in the artisanal production of cosmetics.
Today, she teaches other women how to produce soaps, candles, moisturizers and other products using honey, propolis, geopropolis and beeswax.
"The majority of people who participate in the courses are looking for additional income.

A gente mostra que é possível criar novas fontes de renda a partir dos produtos das abelhas", explicou a empreendedora.
Kátia Abelha dá cursos de cosméticos usando os produtos das abelhas no Espírito Santo
Arquivo Pessoal
Ao lado do marido, Juliano Cordeiro, conhecido como "Juliano Abelha", ela transformou a atividade em um negócio familiar.
Há cinco anos, ele também deixou a carreira no serviço público para se dedicar integralmente à apicultura. O casal investiu em cursos, treinamentos e especializações até se tornar referência na área.
Hoje, os dois ministram capacitações em diferentes estados brasileiros para produtores, associações, cooperativas e instituições ligadas ao setor, inclusive com o apoio do Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas (Sebrae).
A atuação foi além da produção de mel. Eles criaram um espaço voltado à formação de produtores e ao desenvolvimento de novas pesquisas relacionadas à apicultura e à meliponicultura.
A rotina da família passou a girar em torno das abelhas. Os filhos Davi, de 17 anos, e Aaron, de 7, também acompanham parte das atividades e cresceram vendo os pais transformarem uma paixão em profissão.
Rotina da 'Família Abelha' passou a girar em torno das abelhas no Espírito Santo
Arquivo Pessoal
Abelhas movimentam outras cadeias produtivas
O impacto das abelhas vai além dos produtos vendidos pelas empreendedoras. A atividade também contribui para a agricultura e ajuda a gerar renda dentro das propriedades rurais.
Segundo José Roberto Gonçalves, gerente corporativo de Agropecuária da Cooperativa Agrária dos Cafeicultores de São Gabriel (Cooabriel), as abelhas desempenham papel fundamental na cafeicultura, especialmente nas lavouras de café conilon.
"As abelhas possuem uma contribuição importante nesse processo, favorecendo maior produtividade e uniformidade na maturação dos frutos das lavouras de café conilon", explicou Gonçalves.
Além de ajudar na agricultural production, the activity can represent a new source of income for farmers.
"Producers who have apiaries on their properties, in addition to enhancing the production of conilon coffee, have a second economic activity, generating more income and contributing to improving the quality of life", he stated.
The growing interest in the activity has led more coffee farmers to seek qualifications. In recent days, it has promoted courses aimed at cooperative members that combine coffee production with bee keeping.

Some of these courses were taught by the 'Abelha' couple. Para Gonçalves, a capacitação é essencial para quem deseja crescer na atividade.
"A participação em capacitações possibilita o acesso às informações que contribuem para uma condução mais assertiva da criação de abelhas, tanto para apicultores experientes quanto para produtores que estão iniciando na atividade", disse.
Kátia e Juliano Abelha criam e dão aulas sobre abelhas no Espírito Santo
Arquivo Pessoal
Capacitação transforma interesse em negócio
O papel do conhecimento também é destacado pelo Sebrae. Segundo o analista Daywidson Stabenow, a capacitação é um dos fatores que permitem transformar uma atividade complementar em um negócio estruturado.
"A capacitação ajuda a transformar um conhecimento técnico ou uma habilidade prática em uma atividade economicamente viável. O empreendedor passa a enxergar o negócio de forma mais estratégica e identifica oportunidades que antes não via", explicou.
Para ele, as histórias das produtoras refletem uma tendência crescente do empreendedorismo feminino.
"Essas histórias mostram a força da mulher, a determinação e a capacidade de adaptação.

More and more women are seeking financial autonomy, generating income and carrying out their personal projects", he stated.
The analyst also highlights that the bee production chain offers opportunities for small entrepreneurs.
"In addition to the sale of honey, there are several derivative products, such as propolis, pollen, wax and royal jelly. This expands the possibilities for revenue and new business", he highlighted.
Bees inspire women to undertake and create new businesses in Espírito Santo
Ricardo Medeiros/Rede Gazeta
Knowledge as a starting point
Although they have different stories, the four women share the same learning: undertaking requires preparation.
It was through courses, training, mentoring, associations and training programs that they found ways to transform interest into a business opportunity.
More than producing honey, propolis, cosmetics or other derivatives from the hives, they began to see possibilities for generating income, environmental enhancement and financial independence.
Now, as they expand production and plan new steps, they help to show that entrepreneurship can be born in the most unexpected places, even from insects that weigh just a few grams, but move a production chain capable of transforming lives.
Women transform bee hobbies into natural products and a source of income in Espírito Santo
Ricardo Medeiros/Rede Gazeta
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