Peru has taken an unusual step in environmental law: two municipalities in the Amazon region have granted native stingless bees the legal right to exist, reproduce and thrive. The move is being described as a world first for insects.
The ordinances were approved in Satipo and Nauta, creating a legal path for Indigenous communities and conservation advocates to act on behalf of the bees if their habitat is harmed. The decision builds on Peru's national Law No. 32235, passed in 2025, which identified stingless bees as a species of national interest.
The initiative was driven by Rosa Vásquez Espinoza and Amazon Research Internacional, alongside Indigenous communities that have worked with stingless bees since pre-Columbian times. For groups such as the Asháninka and Kukama-Kukamiria, the bees are not only ecological allies but also part of cultural memory and traditional knowledge.
Researchers note that stingless bees play a major role in tropical ecosystems, pollinating a large share of rainforest plants. Their protection is increasingly relevant as ecosystems face pressure from climate shifts, land-use change and pesticide exposure.
The new ordinances also place Peru within the wider Rights of Nature movement, which has expanded legal recognition for rivers, forests and glaciers in several countries. By extending that idea to insects, Peru is testing a fresh model for biodiversity protection.
This development may help redefine how future conservation policy connects law, science and Indigenous stewardship in safeguarding living systems.