TY - JOUR
T1 - Apiculture knowledge transmission in a changing world
T2 - Can family-owned knowledge be opened?
AU - Uchiyama, Yuta
AU - Matsuoka, Hikaru
AU - Kohsaka, Ryo
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP26360062 , JP16KK0053 , and JP17K02105 ; Environment Research and Technology Development Fund [ S-15-2(3) Predicting and Assessing Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services (PANCES)] of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan ; Research Institute for Humanity and Nature [No. 14200126 ]; Asahi Group Foundation [ A17B-031 ]; Kurita Water and Environment Foundation [ 16C003 ]; Toyota Foundation [ D17-N-0107 ]. Thanks are extended to the members of the association of beekeepers in Nagano.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Korea Food Research Institute
PY - 2017/12
Y1 - 2017/12
N2 - Background: Ecosystem services of pollinators have been gaining importance, as mentioned in the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services thematic report on pollination in 2016. Apart from wild bees, human interventions including apiculture can contribute to management of ecosystem services. Ecological and local knowledge of management is transmitted through various processes, varying in content and quality. Methods: We analyzed the processes of knowledge transmission, beekeeping productivity, and their interactions with each other. The study was conducted in the Nagano Prefecture, Japan, where the largest quantity of bee honey is produced nationally. Beekeeping knowledge in Nagano is transmitted through different information channels, including families, friends, and books. We categorized the beekeepers based on their information channels. The relationship between productivity of beekeeping and information channels was also analyzed. Results: It was identified that beekeepers who obtained their knowledge from their parents had relatively large number of bee colonies. Furthermore, we observed by interviews with them that they tended to understand the importance of ecological conditions for sustainable beekeeping. Conclusion: The results implied a challenge to open the knowledge transmission channels beyond families, potentially transforming the knowledge from tacit knowledge among limited members to an explicit manualized knowledge in an aging society.
AB - Background: Ecosystem services of pollinators have been gaining importance, as mentioned in the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services thematic report on pollination in 2016. Apart from wild bees, human interventions including apiculture can contribute to management of ecosystem services. Ecological and local knowledge of management is transmitted through various processes, varying in content and quality. Methods: We analyzed the processes of knowledge transmission, beekeeping productivity, and their interactions with each other. The study was conducted in the Nagano Prefecture, Japan, where the largest quantity of bee honey is produced nationally. Beekeeping knowledge in Nagano is transmitted through different information channels, including families, friends, and books. We categorized the beekeepers based on their information channels. The relationship between productivity of beekeeping and information channels was also analyzed. Results: It was identified that beekeepers who obtained their knowledge from their parents had relatively large number of bee colonies. Furthermore, we observed by interviews with them that they tended to understand the importance of ecological conditions for sustainable beekeeping. Conclusion: The results implied a challenge to open the knowledge transmission channels beyond families, potentially transforming the knowledge from tacit knowledge among limited members to an explicit manualized knowledge in an aging society.
KW - Beekeeping
KW - Chi-square test
KW - Discourse analysis
KW - Japan
KW - Tacit knowledge
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85035106422&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85035106422&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jef.2017.09.002
DO - 10.1016/j.jef.2017.09.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85035106422
VL - 4
SP - 262
EP - 267
JO - Journal of Ethnic Foods
JF - Journal of Ethnic Foods
SN - 2352-6181
IS - 4
ER -