Natalia Varela Cadaía, beekeeper in the Espírito da Colmea project – Laxe, Palas de Rei, Lugo

Natalia grew up in a family of millers and her path to beekeeping began almost by chance. After returning to Galicia in 2013, she restored her family’s old mill and discovered wild bees nesting in its walls. With no previous experience, she decided to start with two hives, guided by her intuition and curiosity. Thus began her adventure in a world that, according to her, is closed and dominated by men, which made learning very difficult.

Over time, Natalia trained herself through courses and occasional help from local beekeepers. In 2023, she took a crucial step and professionalised her activity. For her, bees represent much more than a job: ‘The essence, the core of the project, is to raise awareness that we are all one and that bees are closely linked to their environment. Without bees, we cannot have food, because bees pollinate about 77% of the food we eat today. If they disappear because their habitats are not protected and are destroyed, we are working against ourselves,’ she says.

Natalia appreciates this relationship between bees and the ecosystem, and points out that climate change is altering natural cycles and impacting on bee behaviour. In the past, chestnut trees, willows and brambles flowered synchronously, but nowadays everything is unpredictable, she says.

Despite its importance, she says that beekeeping faces a lack of institutional recognition in Galicia and a huge ignorance of its importance for the territory itself and society. According to her, policies favour incorporation into more profitable sectors, such as pig or chicken farming, while beekeeping is seen as an activity incapable of generating enough profit to make a living, as a utopian and romantic project. ‘Priority is given to large industries that promise jobs in the short term, but which destabilise the entire local fabric. After 30 years, all they leave behind is scorched earth,’ he warns.

This concern about the impact of large multinational projects (cellulose, eucalyptus plantations, etc.) is reflected in his analysis of the Galician landscape, where he assures that traditional activities such as extensive livestock farming, which maintains meadows and forests, are disappearing due to depopulation and the arrival of these large companies that are not compatible with productive activities and services that respect the environment. In his opinion, these projects lead to the abandonment of the rural environment, which is transformed into a ‘land of sacrifice’, similar to what happened for centuries in Latin America.

The beekeeping sector is a profoundly masculine world, says Natalia. ‘I am the only woman who runs a beekeeping project alone’, the rest of the women beekeepers are involved but do so in a family context that makes them less visible. In meetings where crucial issues such as the Asian hornet are discussed, women are in the minority and face condescending and paternalistic attitudes: ‘I am often underestimated or asked if I work alone, attitudes they would not have with a man,’ she says. She also denounces the individualism and lack of collaboration between beekeepers, despite the supposed associative spirit that could be inferred from the high number of existing associations.

‘When I share knowledge, such as a study I have read or a method to test, my interventions and comments are often underestimated. My expertise becomes invisible. On a personal level, I have had to learn and adapt my character over time, softening my manners and modulating my language to adapt to a male-dominated environment. I have learned to behave in certain ways to be taken seriously, but it is exhausting. Now I’m trying to unlearn those behaviours and work differently,’ she explains.

Despite the challenges, Natalia points out that new rural initiatives are led by women who are transforming economic paradigms. These initiatives tend to promote cooperation and communication between producers rather than competition and isolation between producers.

Natalia argues that cooperatives should be at the centre of rural development and works to create support networks among women. ‘Even though we are overwhelmed with our individual projects, we are building something together, and that gives me hope,’ she concludes.