Moroccan bee farms amid drought - in pictures

  • A beekeeper works at Inzerki Apiary in the village of Inzerki, Morocco. All photos by AFP
    A beekeeper works at Inzerki Apiary in the village of Inzerki, Morocco. All photos by AFP
  • The beekeeping centre is situated on a hillside in the heart of the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve, a Unesco-protected 2.5-million-hectare region.
    The beekeeping centre is situated on a hillside in the heart of the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve, a Unesco-protected 2.5-million-hectare region.
  • Morocco's village of Inzerki proudly claims to have the world's oldest and largest collective beehive, but instead of buzzing with springtime activity, the colonies have collapsed amid crippling drought.
    Morocco's village of Inzerki proudly claims to have the world's oldest and largest collective beehive, but instead of buzzing with springtime activity, the colonies have collapsed amid crippling drought.
  • The North African kingdom has experienced a surge in the number of deaths of the critical pollinators, a phenomenon called "colony collapse disorder".
    The North African kingdom has experienced a surge in the number of deaths of the critical pollinators, a phenomenon called "colony collapse disorder".
  • Inzerki Apiary comprises a five-storey structure of wooden struts and dry mud, stretching along a hillside.
    Inzerki Apiary comprises a five-storey structure of wooden struts and dry mud, stretching along a hillside.
  • Each compartment is home to a cylindrical wicker hive, covered with a mix of earth and cow dung.
    Each compartment is home to a cylindrical wicker hive, covered with a mix of earth and cow dung.
  • Bee expert Antonin Adam says the bees are under threat amid a changing climate, but the problem may have been exacerbated by their "vulnerability to diseases, nomadic pastoral practices, intensive agriculture and the country's desire to increase its honey production".
    Bee expert Antonin Adam says the bees are under threat amid a changing climate, but the problem may have been exacerbated by their "vulnerability to diseases, nomadic pastoral practices, intensive agriculture and the country's desire to increase its honey production".
  • The UAM beekeepers union estimates that, since last August, about 100,000 colonies have been lost in the central region of Beni Mellal-Khenifra alone.
    The UAM beekeepers union estimates that, since last August, about 100,000 colonies have been lost in the central region of Beni Mellal-Khenifra alone.