Abstract

MATU PASOS, Erik David et al. Meliponiculture in Northwestern Yucatán: History, Challenges, and Knowledge Transmission. Estud. cult. maya [online]. 2025, vol.65, pp.189-217.  Epub Sep 08, 2025. ISSN 0185-2574.  https://doi.org/10.19130/iifl.ecm.2025.1/0q27r1v056.

Stingless beekeeping in the Yucatan Peninsula plays an important role in the identity of the Mayan culture; however, several socio-environmental problems threaten the preservation of this activity and the knowledge of the people who carry it out. In order to analyze the relationship between the history of northwestern Yucatan and meliponiculture, and contribute to the preservation of local knowledge, this study sought to document the socio-environmental events that had a strong impact on meliponiculture and identify the socioeconomic characteristics and contemporary knowledge of melipon farmers. For this purpose, a sampling of typical subjects was carried out. Subjects were classified as individuals with knowledge and territorial recognition and the total sample consisted of 19 individuals. A semi-structured interview was conducted with each subject to collect socioeconomic information and their knowledge about meliponiculture. The information obtained was processed in a database and subsequently categorized into variables that were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. The results obtained suggest that the meliponiculturists in the study area have acquired their knowledge in a self-taught manner -mainly about beehive production and reproduction- and most of them have higher education; however, meliponiculturists with less schooling are the ones who have more knowledge related to ritual practices. These results confirm the need to revive and preserve the knowledge that still exists in the memory of the meliponiculturists, since this knowledge could be forgotten due to the rapid changes occurring in the territory’s social and environmental context. Only in this way can the biocultural heritage of the meliponiculturists and their relationship with humans and nature be preserved.

Keywords : Native bees; biocultural heritage; ethnoecology; Mayan culture; socioenvironmental issues.

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