Local ordinances grant legal rights to native stingless bees in Peruvian Amazon

In a landmark decision, local ordinances will now allow local authorities in the Peruvian Amazon to actively intervene and defend native stingless bees. This marks the first time insects have received legal rights to exist, thrive, and be defended in court in the Satipo province and Nauta town.

Environmentalist are calling this a major step for conservation supported by science and Indigenous knowledge.

“This ordinance marks a turning point in our relationship with nature: it makes stingless bees visible, recognizes them as rights-bearing subjects, and affirms their essential role in preserving ecosystems,” Constanza Prieto, Latin American director at the Earth Law Center, said.

Stingless bees, encompassing a number of varieties, are found in tropical regions across the world and are the oldest bee species on Earth, The Guardian reported. More than half of the stingless bees’ population lives in the Amazon and are responsible for pollinating 80 percent of the crops, including cocoa, coffee and avocados.

According to Prieto the policies required for the stingless bees’ survival, will include “habitat reforestation and restoration, strict regulation of pesticides and herbicides, mitigation of and adaptation to the impacts of climate change, the advancement of scientific research, and the adoption of the precautionary principle as a guiding framework for all decisions that may affect their survival.”

Passed in late 2025 (Satipo in October, Nauta in December), the local ordinances acknowledge the stingless bee’s essential role in the Amazon ecosystem.

“Within the stingless bee lives Indigenous traditional knowledge, passed down since the time of our grandparents,” Apu Cesar Ramos, president of EcoAshaninka of the Ashaninka Communal Reserve, said. “The stingless bee has existed since time immemorial and reflects our coexistence with the rainforest.”