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[Apiculture Reports from around the World] Brazil

Brazil: Producer of High-quality Propolis

Propolis from Brazil is widely regarded as being of good quality, but few reports give detailed assessments of the country's local conditions. As a beekeeper, I consider it my duty to report on propolis production in Brazil. For this purpose I traveled to Brazil in November 1999 to visit an apiary with which Yamada Bee Farm has a partnership.

Honeybees produce high-quality propolis from the buds of trees known to have medicinal properties and from other useful ingredients. But to gather propolis, human knowledge is equally important. The indigenous people of Brazil possess a love for nature and a willingness to learn from nature. They also have a sophisticated diet and deep knowledge of medicinal herbs. In order to receive the benefits of nature's healing power, all of us need to keep in mind that we are a part of the Earth's natural cycles. Propolis is a natural by-product, a blessing from nature that can help people in many ways. It comes to us by way of a beneficial exchange between Yamada Bee Farm and the South American country of Brazil.

Brazil map

With Cláudio Mota, manager of Yamada Bee Farm's partner farm in Brazil.

The propolis gathered from the new buds of medicinal plants contains many useful ingredients.

Cláudio Mota's apiary comprises a natural herb farm filled with an abundance of wild herbs.

Here in Brazil's highlands, at 1,500 meters above sea level, a vast herb garden spreads out before me. This treasure trove of medicinal plants is found in a quiet, natural environment completely unlike the jungles for which Brazil is best known. Busily flying around this wild herb garden collecting propolis are the bees. This propolis collection site is Yamada Bee Farm's Brazilian partner farm, located 400 kilometers from Sao Paulo.

All of the herbs in this stretch of land are wild. "For rosemary alone I believe there are more than a dozen varieties out there," explains Cláudio Mota, the farm's director. Rosemary is widely used in cosmetics and known for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Honeybees produce propolis to keep bacteria out of their hives, but propolis made from medicinal plants can also have a beneficial effect on human health.

As we talked, Cláudio Mota displayed his vast knowledge of medicinal herbs. Much of that knowledge has been handed down since ancient times through the indigenous culture, but Cláudio Mota also draws on his knowledge as a medical doctor and his clinical experience using herbal medicine.

Mountains covered with forests of eucalyptus planted for lumber and paper are present everywhere.

Brazil is a vast country, so the plants that grow in this region are completely different from those that grow in the north. In the same way that honey comes in many varieties depending on the types of flower nectar it is made with, recent research by the company indicates that it may be possible to find propolis with unique characteristics derived from the vegetation of specific locales. This will result in a more useful classification system than the overly-broad "Product of Brazil."

Cláudio Mota, who is also a leading apiarist in the region, has a vision for the region: "This is a wonderful place where plants can grow in abundance only because of the pure, clean air. I would therefore like to see it become an even better apiculture center." And this dream is shared by other nature-loving apiarists.

A visit to APACAME, the Sao Paulo apiculture organization working to set quality standards for propolis.

Killer bees collect large quantities of propolis.

The next day I visited APACAME (Associacao Paulista de Apicultores, Criadores de Abelhas Melificas Europeias), the Apicultural Association of Sao Paulo. APACAME is Brazil's only apicultural association, with members from all over the country. Yamada Bee Farm is also a member.

Director Constantino Zara Filho explained, "In 1956, Brazilian bees became crossed with African bees, resulting in more aggressive bees. Many people quit keeping bees because of this."

This situation occurred when African bees being kept for research purposes escaped and began to breed with the Western honeybees kept by apiarists. The crossbred bees were so aggressive that they were dubbed "killer bees" as they spread throughout the country. This breed leaves the hive very early, builds many new hives, and collects propolis in huge quantities, ranging from 10 times to several dozen times that of ordinary honeybees.

"In recent years Brazil has seen remarkable growth with regard to propolis." As these words of Mr. Constantino show, what could have been a disaster has turned out to be a blessing. These new bees are the reason larger quantities of propolis from Brazil are now reaching the market.

The association is now working to establish quality standards for propolis. When I suggested to Mr. Constantino that Yamada Bee Farm could assist by sharing the results of the joint research between the company and national universities in Japan with regard to the creation of quality standards, he was eager to start talks.

Mr. Constantino, director of APACAME, explains Brazil's explosive growth in propolis production.