Meli Bees Network is regenerating ecosystems and livelihoods through Indigenous-led solutions

What if climate solutions emerged from within, rooted in ancestral wisdom, nurtured by communities, and scaled through a global network of trusted partners spanning academia, industries, and changemakers? Meli Bees Network is making this vision a reality in Latin America, creating a model that can grow across regions to strengthen communities and ecosystems.

Founded by Ana Rosa de Lima, an Omágua woman raised in the Arc of Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, Meli Bees Network was created to make conservation more inclusive and community-driven. Registered in Germany and rooted in Latin American territories, Meli is powered by a growing network of Indigenous and local leaders — its Pollinators — and a multicultural team that amplifies Meli's visions across biomes, borders, and sectors.

Meli collaborates with over 100 Indigenous and local communities in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico, supporting regenerative initiatives rooted in ancestral knowledge and local priorities.. Through agroforestry, native beekeeping (meliponiculture), biodiversity restoration, and regenerative education, Meli strengthens food sovereignty, income generation, and climate resilience, while respecting Indigenous views.

Its three programmes form a cycle of impact: the Pollinators Fellowship trains IPLC (Indigenous People and Local Communities) leaders in project design and storytelling; Pollinating Regeneration provides funding support to outstanding community projects; and the Meli Think Tank connects grassroots insights to global science, policy, and climate finance. This engine of regeneration scales without extraction — communities lead, knowledge flows horizontally, and impact multiplies.

How is Meli Bees Network different from more mainstream approaches?

Meli transforms conservation by shifting from top-down interventions to community-led regeneration.. Most environmental solutions often overlook the governance systems and cultural realities of the communities most affected. Meli centers Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities as protagonists, not beneficiaries.

Its offline-first approach overcomes digital barriers, bringing education, funding, and technical tools to even the most remote territories. Projects begin with territorial diagnoses and evolve through peer-to-peer learning.

Rather than scale a product, Meli scales leadership, trust, and cooperation — linking community priorities to researchers, funders, and policymakers. This enables a just North–South collaboration, rooted in cultural adaptation and mutual respect, led by Meli’s migrant and Indigenous leadership, who bridge worlds through lived experience.

The result is a deeply adaptable model that grows from within and strengthens community sovereigntywhile informing policy, shifting funding flows, and redefining climate action.

"Indigenous Peoples face systemic barriers that go beyond underfunding — they include deep-rooted colonial mindsets, rigid bureaucracies, and conservation models that exclude the very people who protect biodiversity. Meli dismantles these by building trust, not templates. We redirect resources, decision-making power, and visibility into the hands of local leaders — not as beneficiaries, but as co-creators of a global movement. Regeneration isn’t scalable unless it’s rooted in autonomy."

—Ana Rosa de Lima, Founder, Meli Bees Network

Why does Meli Bees Network matter?

The crises of climate, biodiversity loss, and human rights are deeply connected, with Indigenous and local communities bearing the greatest impact. Though just 5% of the global population (476 million people), they protect over 25% of Earth’s land, steward 36% of intact forests, and safeguard over 80% of global biodiversity. Yet, they receive less than 1% of climate finance.

Meli shifts this paradigm. With over 5,000 hectares restored or protected and more than 100 communities actively engaged, its impact continues to grow.. Already, 70% of projects designed through the Pollinators Fellowship have secured follow-up support — a powerful signal of long-term viability.

Four documentary films have been produced to amplify community stories, and Indigenous leaders are now informing regional policies and shaping global narratives. Beyond ecosystems, Meli revitalizes ancestral knowledge, intergenerational leadership, and climate justice — showing that when communities lead, regeneration scales with depth, dignity, and direction.

What could the future look like if Meli Bees Network scales?

Imagine a world where Indigenous and local leadership actively informs how we govern, teach, invest, and innovate. Where regeneration isn’t a project but a shared way of life — scaled through human-centered innovation and rooted in the wisdom of hands-on, community-led learning.

If Meli’s model scaled, millions of hectares could be restored and protected, biodiversity revived, and community knowledge embedded in policy, education, and finance. Already, Meli’s approach is resonating far beyond Latin America. In Africa, a cohort of 30 grassroots leaders in Tanzania, Ghana and Kenya are preparing to implement the model in their own territories. In Germany, agroforestry farmers and beekeepers are joining the network, integrating Indigenous-informed practices into European landscapes. This global momentum proves that Meli is not just a solution — it's a growing movement.

When solutions are informed by those closest to the land, they are more just, lasting, and effective. Scaling Meli means co-creating a world where autonomy and reciprocity replace extraction — and where the wisdom of the forest becomes a guide for us all.

Questions to consider:

How can Indigenous and local leadership be further centered in climate solutions?

What barriers prevent grassroots-led solutions from scaling, and how can they be removed?

Images courtesy: Meli Bees Network

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