Satipo Approves Historic Ordinance: In World First, An Insect Is Granted Legal Rights
PRESS CONTACTS
Constanza Prieto Figelist, Director of the Legal Program for Latin America, Earth Law Center, cpfigelist@earthlaw.org (English/Spanish)
Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, Executive Director, Amazon Research Internacional, contact@rosavespinoza.com (English/Spanish)
In a precedent with no equivalent worldwide, the Provincial Municipality of Satipo has approved Municipal Ordinance No. 33-2025-CM/MPS, which grants legal rights to native stingless bees within the Avireri VRAEM Biosphere Reserve. These insects—the oldest bee species on the planet, and which are responsible for pollinating over 80% of Amazonian flora, including globally cherished crops like coffee, chocolate, avocados, and blueberries—are now formally recognized as beings with inherent rights. This is the first formal recognition of rights for an insect in history, a revolutionary step in protecting Peru’s biodiversity and biocultural heritage.
The ordinance was supported by a joint technical report from Amazon Research Internacional and Earth Law Center, and approved in close collaboration with the Ashaninka Communal Reserve and EcoAshaninka. This legislation is the result of a unique alliance between Indigenous leaders, scientists, and environmental advocates—a unique partnership that, campaigners say, could inspire similar efforts worldwide and advance the recognition of the intrinsic value of wild bees and the ecosystems they sustain.
Photo credit: Luis García
Photo credit: Luis García
More photos here (Credits: Luis García)
An Urgent Response to an Environmental and Cultural Crisis
Native stingless bees —including Melipona eburnea, Tetragonisca angustula, Melipona illota, and Melipona grandis— are currently threatened by deforestation, pesticides, habitat loss, and climate change. Their decline directly affects:
the regeneration of Amazonian forests
food security
the continuity of Ashaninka traditional knowledge
sustainable livelihoods based on meliponiculture
These bees play an essential role in the reproduction of hundreds of plant species and are considered a pillar of forest health.
The Rights Recognized for the Bees
The ordinance recognizes inherent rights of the bees and their ecosystems, including:
the right to exist and thrive
the right to maintain healthy populations
the right to a healthy habitat free from pollution
the right to ecologically stable climatic conditions
the right to regenerate their natural cycles
the right to be legally represented in cases of threat or harm
This legal framework will enable immediate action against activities that affect their colonies or habitat, integrating science, Indigenous knowledge, and the Rights of Nature in a single tool.
A Model of Integration Between Science and Indigenous Wisdom
The ordinance is part of a broader effort, in collaboration with Dr. Cesar Delgado (IIAP Peru) and organizations leading this initiative, that includes the following:
the first mapping of wild stingless beehives in the territory
the first documentation of Ashaninka ethnoknowledge about the species
the creation of the first Ashaninka Biocultural Community Protocol
the documentation of sustainable practices for the raising and protection of bees
This process strengthens Indigenous governance, enhances conservation, and ensures the protection of ancestral knowledge.
“This ordinance marks a turning point in how we understand and legislate our relationship with Nature.”—Constanza Prieto, Earth Law Center
“It shows how modern science and ancestral wisdom can come together to create real conservation solutions.”— Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, Amazon Research Internacional
“The Neronto (Melipona eburnea) has much work to do. For us, it is vital for society and for Indigenous Peoples.”— César Ramos Pérez, President of EcoAshaninka
“As part of the Biosphere Reserve, Satipo has the responsibility to conserve what we have. This ordinance drives that mission.”—Ronald Rocha, Environment Manager, Provincial Municipality of Satipo
“Satipo, as part of the Avireri Vraem Biosphere Reserve, is blessed to coexist with abundant and generous nature. Our task as an administration is to care for it, conserve it, and use it wisely.”—Jesús Soto Moya, Deputy Manager of Environmental Services and Biosphere Reserve, Provincial Municipality of Satipo
“Bee:wild is excited to support these heroic efforts in Peru to save the stingless bees—essential pollinators who safeguard biodiversity in the Amazon—the lungs of our planet—and in rainforests around the world.”—Eva Kruse, Executive Director, Bee:wild
A Global Precedent Already Mobilizing the World
With this decision, Satipo positions itself as a global leader in environmental protection and paves the way for future legislation recognizing the rights of other species vital to ecosystems—a level of integration rarely achieved in public policy. The model brings together:
applied science
Rights of Nature
Indigenous governance
community conservation
Moreover, this achievement is already generating global impact: Inspired by this milestone, the global movements Avaaz and Bee:wild have joined forces—mobilizing Avaaz’s 70 million members—to call for the protection of stingless bees across all of Peru. Together with the organizations leading this initiative, they have launched a petition that has already gathered more than 335,000 signatures and aims to reach 500,000, to be delivered by Indigenous leaders to Peru’s authorities in the new year. This rising wave of global support strengthens the model created in Satipo and opens the door for other nations to adopt similar legal frameworks for wild pollinators.
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ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS
About Earth Law Center
Earth Law Center is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes the application of the Rights of Nature at the local and international levels, creating alliances with local organizations to recognize and enact laws that acknowledge the inherent rights of rivers, oceans, and terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. In doing so, it seeks to achieve a paradigm shift, advocating for the formal recognition of Nature’s rights to exist, thrive, and evolve. Earth Law Center works to ensure that ecosystems have the same rights as people and corporations, allowing their rights to be defended in national and international courts, not only for the benefit of people but also for the benefit of Nature itself.
About Amazon Research Internacional
Amazon Research Internacional is a nonprofit organization based in Peru, dedicated to the conservation of Amazonian biodiversity, ecosystems, and Indigenous knowledge. By uniting modern science with traditional wisdom, we create innovative conservation solutions that honor biocultural heritage. Our work spans scientific research, education, and community empowerment, focusing on the regeneration of degraded ecosystems, climate change mitigation, and the promotion of nature-positive and culture-positive livelihoods. While stingless bees are a symbolic species representing the health of the Amazon rainforest, our mission also defends traditional medicine, biodiversity, and the Rights of Nature. Together, these efforts strengthen sustainability, fair trade, and the preservation of Indigenous wisdom.
About EcoAshaninka
EcoAshaninka is an Indigenous association representing 25 Native communities from the Ashaninka, Machiguenga, and Kakinte peoples, located in the buffer zone of the Ashaninka Communal Reserve, and five Indigenous organizations: Central Ashaninka of the Ene River – CARE, Ashaninka Federation of the Ene River – FARE, Central Ashaninka of the Tambo River – CART, Ashaninka Organization of the Apurímac River – OARA, Kakinte People Development Organization – ODPK, and the Machiguenga Council of the Urubamba River – COMARU, spanning the Tambo, Ene, and lower Apurímac river basins in the regions of Junín and Cusco. Established on April 21, 2006 and registered under Electronic Entry No. 11009042 of the Huancayo Registry Office, EcoAshaninka serves as Administrator of the Ashaninka Communal Reserve under an agreement with SERNANP signed on September 23, 2008. Its main objective is the co-management of the Reserve with active participation from Indigenous Peoples and beneficiary populations, promoting capacity-building in sustainable forest management and the development of economic activities compatible with conservation, as well as acting as an implementing organization for commitments with public and private institutions supporting the Reserve’s conservation.
About the Ashaninka Communal Reserve
The Ashaninka Communal Reserve, located between the regions of Junín and Pasco in the central Peruvian Amazon, spans approximately 184,468 hectares of tropical forest and was established in 2003 to conserve the area’s extraordinary biodiversity and safeguard the cultural heritage of the Ashaninka people. It forms part of the Vilcabamba–Amboró conservation corridor, one of the most species-rich regions on the planet. The Reserve is co-managed by the National Service of Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP) and local Ashaninka organizations under a shared management model that seeks to balance environmental protection with sustainable use of natural resources, ensuring the well-being of the communities that have traditionally inhabited and cared for this territory.
About Bee:wild
Bee:wild is a global initiative led by Re:wild and international partners that seeks to protect native pollinators through science, education, and community action. The campaign promotes nature-based solutions, supports local leadership, and highlights the importance of wild bees for ecosystem health and food security. Its mission is to inspire individuals, organizations, and governments to defend bees and the landscapes that sustain life on the planet.
