In celebration of World Bee Day 2026, the Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Programme—Asia (NTFP-EP Asia) proudly announces the launch of Bees and Trees, Book One: Asian Giant Honey Bees, Flowers, and Forest Peoples, an exciting new publication that highlights the inseparable relationship between bees, forests, and Indigenous and local communities across Asia.

At the heart of the book is a simple yet powerful truth: “No Bees, No Trees; No Trees, No Bees.” The publication explores the vital ecological role of the Asian giant honey bee, (scientific name: Apis dorsata) one of the region’s most important forest pollinators and a cornerstone species for wild honey harvesting traditions. Through their long-distance pollination, these bees sustain the reproduction of towering forest trees such as Bombax ceiba, helping maintain healthy and biodiverse tropical forests.

More than a scientific resource, Bees and Trees is also a celebration of people and culture. The book documents traditional honey-gathering practices from communities across Southeast Asia, from Cambodia’s national strategy on bee conservation to Vietnam’s traditional beekeeping practices with Apis cerana. It captures the knowledge, courage, and stewardship of Indigenous Peoples and local communities who have long protected forest ecosystems while sustaining their livelihoods through wild honey collection.

Richly illustrated with botanical and entomological artwork by Eunike Nugroho and Yuanito Eliazar, the publication combines visual storytelling with ecological knowledge. Seasonal calendars included in the book also provide insights into flowering cycles and changing climate patterns, emphasizing how environmental disruptions affect both bees and forest-dependent communities.

As climate change, habitat loss, and biodiversity decline continue to threaten pollinators worldwide, Bees and Trees serve as both a call to action and a source of hope. It reminds readers that conserving bees is not only about protecting a species: it is about safeguarding forests, food systems, traditional knowledge, and the future of communities that depend on them.

This World Bee Day, NTFP-EP Asia invites policymakers, researchers, educators, honey consumers, and environmental advocates to join the growing movement to protect pollinators and the forests they sustain. Through Bees and Trees, readers are encouraged to become true stewards of the source and help ensure that the flight paths of the Asian giant honeybee remain open for generations to come.

The book will be launched in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam (see below for the launch dates). And as part of the World Bee Day celebration this big year of 2026, we are also launching a webinar on 26th May 2026, 13:30 JKT (please follow us on our social media accounts to keep you updated!)

Register HERE for the webinar.

Book Launch Date are as follows:

• Indonesia (5 June 2026)
• Vietnam (25 June 2026)
• Philippines (October 2026)
• Cambodia (July 2026)

For more information, contact us at info@ntfp.org