Asociación de Apicultores de la Reserva de Tariquía (AART, Tariquía Reserve Beekeepers' Association) is an indigenous honey producer association that has been recognized nationally for producing the best organic honey in Bolivia. The group works within the Tariquía Flora and Fauna National Reserve, a protected area covering 610,000 acres of dense, semi-deciduous, montane Tucumano-Boliviano forest. The association is certified as an ecological community organization which shares its costs, profits, production techniques and knowledge equally amongst cooperative members.

AART is responsible for the purchase and commercialization of honey from all producers on the reserve. The association incorporates traditional ecological knowledge in their honey extraction techniques. By adding value to this livelihood activity, the initiative has successfully reduced pressures on the reserve's unique biodiversity.

Key Facts 

Equator Prize Winner: 2008

Founded: 1998

Location: Tarija Department

Beneficiaries: More than 80 farming families

Biodiversity: Tariquía Flora and Fauna National Reserve

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