Farmers’ Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Pollination and Bees in a Maize-Producing Region of Zimbabwe: Implications for Pollinator Conservation

Abstract

Pollination ecosystem service contributes tremendously to food security; however, little is known about the farmers' awareness of the ecosystem service to ensure conservation of pollinators. This study determined farmers' perceptions, knowledge, attitudes toward bees, and pollination in a maize-producing region of Zimbabwe using semistructured questionnaires (N ¼ 828). Generalized linear model and logit regressions were used to determine factors influencing farmers' ability to identify bees, knowledge of pollination, and fear toward bees, respectively. Identification of bees was positively related to education, years in farming, and negatively related to fear toward bees (p < .001). Fear toward bees was influenced by gender, knowledge of bee attack fatalities, and perception of the importance of bees (p < .001). The majority of respondents (67%) confirmed knowledge of pollination (v 2 ¼ 96.043, p < .001), and the probability of knowing pollination was higher for those who depended on media compared with extension and school education as a source of farming information (p < .001). Our findings suggest that to improve bee conservation, farmers should be made more aware of the diverse bee fauna, specifically regarding their benefits as pollinators compared with the few dangers (resulting from stings) in order to reduce fear and increase willingness to conserve bees. Bee awareness programs need to be accessible to women, youth, and those with less formal education as they exhibited the least knowledge. Our findings also support evidence showing that extension officers should consider various media options for the effective dissemination of information to the different target audiences.

Two enabling factors for farmer-driven pollinator protection in low- and middle-income countries

“…Farmers are often not even able to differentiate the most known pollinators, honeybees, from pests, as reported by Munyuli (2011) from Uganda; in Punjab (Pakistan) even 35% of interviewed farmers mixed them up (Ali et al, 2020). According to Tarakini et al (2020), many farmers in Zimbabwe are in fear of bees due to stings and have too low knowledge to protect them. Even if a reward-based programme for seeding WFS and seed packages would be available in these three countries, the low knowledge of farmers might most probably counteract pollinator protection, because e.g.…”

“…In HIC, higher education levels can be aligned with more knowledge and awareness on pollinators and even more willingness to protect pollinators (Ahnström et al, 2009;Hevia et al, 2020;Mwebaze et al, 2018). In LIC and MIC, farmers' knowledge about pollinators differs a lot from country to country and from region to region within countries, farmers are often not able to recognize wild pollinators as pollinators or leastwise as beneficial (Ali et al, 2020;Elisante et al, 2019;Frimpong-Anin et al, 2013;Hall & Martins, 2020;Kasina et al, 2009;Munyuli, 2011;Rawluk & Saunders, 2019;Smith et al, 2017;Tarakini et al, 2020).…”

The Role of Media During COVID-19 Global Outbreak: A Conservation Perspective

“…Conservationists might therefore consider educating the public on dangers of eliminating the species and efficient methods of preventing future infections. Outreach programmes may focus on those people with low levels of education as advocated by Tarakini et al (2020). Considering that the threat of species total destruction mainly came from the less educated, a relatively higher proportion could have been detected if it were not for the study's limitations to those who have internet access, those with appropriate information technology gadgets, and those who are English literate.…”

Drivers of diversity and community structure of bees in an agroecological region of Zimbabwe

“…showing Zvimba District and the sampling points wind-pollinated. In the gardens, insect-pollinated vegetables such as Brassica species, tomatoes Solanum lycopersicum, onions Allium species, and butternut Cucurbita species are grown and form important part of the diet and source of nutrition (Tarakini et al, 2020).…”

“…The majority of the human population in Zimbabwe is based in the rural areas (Shumba, 2001), which is an important sector that requires attention in bee conservation as the main livelihood source is agriculture (Tarakini et al, 2020). Rural areas in Zimbabwe are dominated by the following habitats: natural woodlots, pastures, all year round vegetable gardens, fields, and homesteads (Sibanda, 1990).…”