Costa Rica's Bee Lab Boosts Coffee Yields – CoffeeTalk

Costa Rica has launched the Bee Lab, a beekeeping laboratory in Naranjo, aiming to protect over one million bees and enhance agricultural productivity. The initiative promises to increase coffee and citrus crop yields by up to 25%, supporting farmers and ecosystems. Following successful implementations in Colombia and Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Bee Lab has established 20 beehives in Naranjo, equipped with cutting-edge monitoring technology from UBEES. These hives, fitted with non-invasive IoT sensors, track hive health, bee activity, and pollination efficiency in real time, impacting over 300 hectares of farmland. The technology reduces beekeeping tasks by two-thirds, allowing farmers to focus on sustainable practices that enhance biodiversity and crop quality. The Bee Lab’s mission extends beyond pollination, training rural communities in regenerative beekeeping, creating economic opportunities through honey and beeswax production, particularly for smallholder farmers and women. Scientific evidence underscores the initiative’s impact, with bee pollination in Arabica coffee increasing yields by 26% and improving bean quality by 30%. Citrus crops also benefit, with uniform, high-quality produce fetching better market prices. Costa Rica celebrates National Bee Day, recognizing bees as essential to ecosystem health and food security.

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