Nature is mother. And, consequently, she is also a woman. So, what better day than March 8 to celebrate it? It is not a case that Guerlain chose this symbolic date to inaugurate, together with his muse Angelina Joliea new phase of the program Guerlain Women for Bees in Mexico. Objective: support the beekeeping traditions of Mayan women and protect theMelipona bee.
After all, the one between women and nature is a real elective affinity. Who better than them could guard and protect its secrets. It is, in fact, to these that Guerlain asks to be advocates of change for the purpose of preserving the little workers.
Guerlain protects the Melipona bee in Mexico
L’bee Melipona beecheii it’s not dangerous: it doesn’t even have a sting. But like many other hymenoptera it is at risk of extinction. Its disappearance, in addition to compromising an entire ecosystem, would also damage the Mayas who still use its honey today – after having collected it with a syringe for the delicacy of beehives – to treat skin, eye, digestive, immunological and respiratory problems.
The data, however, speak for themselves: 90% of the colonies of Melipona it has already been decimated by the destruction of tropical forests of the Yucatan peninsula that represent their natural habitat.
Fortunately, this phenomenon is reversible. At least for now. Over the next two years, Guerlain intends to reintroduce the bees Melipona beecheii in Mayan villages and, in a broader sense, in the ecosystem. For this reason, the Maison went to Mexico a few weeks ago to involve the women beekeepers of the Santa Clara community with a training course created together with the non-profit organization Selva Maya Foundation and al Belmond Maroma Hotel.
Photo credit: Guerlain Women for Bees, Mexico 2023, Santa Clara Community – Ph: German Larkin
Angelina Jolie takes the field with Guerlain
Even Angelina Jolie – muse of the Maison since 2017 e Bee Ambassador of the program Women for Bees of UNESCO and Guerlain – took part in the field visit which lasted two days. In particular, participated in a beekeeping session of the Bee School and a hike in the FSM Akumal Jungle Reserve.
Photo credit: Guerlain Women for Bees, Mexico 2023, Santa Clara Community – Ph: German Larkin
The actress is no stranger to philanthropy and activism. Aware of her own strength – let’s not forget that she is Forbes be the Time they entered it among the 100 most influential women in the world -, has always been trying to make a difference ever since in 2000, during the filming of Lara Croft: Tomb Rider in Cambodia, he found personally the conditions of misery and poverty in which the country found itself.
A wider mission
Guerlain’s commitment, together with Angelina Jolie, for women’s emancipation and the protection of bees will continue in the years to come. They are, for example, expected new training courses in Rwanda and China. And it’s not just the Melipona bees at the heart of these initiatives. In past years, the Maison has launched programs for the protection ofApis dorsata and ofApis cerana (respectively the giant bee and the Asian bee of South-East Asia), of theEuropean Apis mellifera and ofApis mellifera mellifera (the northern European black bee) which proliferates on the French island of Ouessant.
Photo credit: Guerlain Women for Bees – OFA 2021 – Photographer Marie Rouge
After all, Guerlain is well aware of the importance of Hymenoptera in different ecosystems. Without them and without the other pollinating insects, our crops would also be at risk. The bees, in fact, sThey are essential for the reproduction of 90% of the planet’s wild flowers and their work contributes 30% to global food security. For this reason, the brand is committed to a sustainable procurement of beehive products that are at the heart of the formulas of its line Abeille Royale.
Discover the honey-based products for face, body and hair in the gallery above.
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