Social acceptance of stingless bee honey cultivation for sustainable bioproduction system

Abstract

Stingless bee honey cultivation is one of the bioproduction systems that is predicted to have a high sustainability value. There are 3 indicators in assessing the sustainability of a system taken from the 3 main pillars of sustainability, namely economic, environmental, and social indicators. This study discusses the social sustainability of stingless bee honey cultivation through one of its elements, namely social acceptance. The research was conducted through a case study in one of the stingless bee honey cultivation sites in Sumedang Regency. The data collected is data on community characteristics and data on social acceptance regarding stingless bee honey cultivation. Community characteristics data shows that based on economic conditions, availability of human resources, and social status of the community, the practice of stingless bee cultivation has the potential to be carried out sustainably. Meanwhile, data on social acceptance related to cultivation show that public perceptions and attitudes generally support the sustainability of stingless bee cultivation, although on the other hand knowledge about the benefits of cultivation and community involvement behavior is still low. Therefore, to strengthen the social sustainability of this bioproduction system, it is necessary to introduce and provide assistance regarding cultivation practices to the community around the location.