In this episode of Oh Crop!, host Kat Morgan, MPH sits down with Ana Rosa de Lima and Ivi Pauli, PhD, from the Meli Bees Network.

This woman-led global organization connects over 100 indigenous and local communities with the resources and partners they need to regenerate their environments and strengthen their territories.

Anna, the director and founder, shares how her indigenous heritage and experience in the Amazon guide her work, while biologist Ivi Pauli discusses weaving indigenous wisdom with scientific knowledge at Meli. The episode also explores how the name "Meli Bees" is a nod to the stingless bees (meliponines), which serve as a perfect inspiration for their work in creating both social and environmental impact. The conversation reveals how the network, built on trust, supports communities to lead their own climate solutions, such as community-led agroforestry projects and meliponiculture, which involves the production of stingless bees for medicinal and food consumption, as well as environmental conservation.

To learn more about the Meli Bees Network, visit their website at https://www.meli-bees.org/.