Melipona bees: how did they become the first insect with legal rights and who fought for it?

His honey, he explains, also plays a spiritual role. “It is not just food: it is medicine for the spirit. When a beehive is installed near a family, it is a sign that that place respects nature,” Torres reflects.

This network of science, culture and territory was key for the ordinances to take shape over time. “The combination of the ecological, cultural, medicinal and economic impact of meliponas is what led to their legal recognition,” says Vásquez, who also points out that meliponiculture generates sustainable income for vulnerable communities and, at the same time, encourages forest conservation.

From a legal perspective, this step is historic both for Peru and for the world. “Declaring native stingless bees as subjects of rights implies recognizing a framework of their own rights, specific not only for them, but also for their habitats,” explain Constanza Prieto and Javier Ruiz, environmental lawyers at the Earth Law Center.

It is no longer just about conserving a species, but about recognizing that these pollinators and the ecosystems where they live have their own rights that must be respected and defended by the State and society. “Recognizing the rights of bees means that they are no longer just a resource, but beings that must exist in healthy environments free of harm,” say experts Prieto and Ruiz.

For them, this achievement can undoubtedly go beyond the local. “These ordinances are an example for other governments and open the door to concrete plans against deforestation and the control or progressive prohibition of pesticides,” they indicate, regarding what would be the beginning of a path towards a more forceful respect for biodiversity.

The challenge now is the implementation of the ordinance. “We need more data, more regulation, to stop the felling of the trees where the meliponas nest and to control the use of pesticides,” warns Vásquez along those lines. Meanwhile, Kukama leader Betty Torres reflects on a desire that should be the mantra of our society: “By protecting a bee, the future of our people is also protected.” //