Regulatory obstacles and compulsory informality in Brazilian meliponiculture

Abstract

Meliponiculture stands out in Brazil as a promising pillar of bioeconomy and environmental conservation. However, its advancement faces severe obstacles stemming from a complex and fragmented legal and sanitary framework. The objective of this study was to map and critically analyze the regulatory barriers that compromise the development of this activity in both rural and urban areas within the national scenario. Methodologically, a systematic literature review was conducted based on the PRISMA protocol guidelines. The Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and CAPES Thesis Database were consulted, resulting in the selection of 14 studies published between 2011 and 2026. Data were screened using EndNote and Rayyan tools and analyzed through categorical content analysis. The results revealed three critical bottleneck axes: 1) the impact of fauna management decentralization after Complementary Law No. 140/2011 and CONAMA Resolution No. 496/2020, which generated a heterogeneous state normative mosaic and hindered the transport of colonies; 2) the sanitary barriers of RIISPOA and MAPA, whose requirements ignore the biology and natural fermentation of native bee honey; and 3) the legislative vacuum and zoning constraints in municipal Master Plans, which treat urban meliponiculture from the perspective of industrial livestock or zoonosis control, imposing a compulsory informality on city breeders. It is concluded that the consolidation of this activity depends on a transition from a punitive command-and-control logic to an integrated and inductive governance, through the unification of environmental systems, the adaptation of agricultural identity standards, and the modernization of urban laws.