http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beekeeping
Bees are insects domesticated for their useful habit of storing sugar from flowers in a form that humans can eat. Honey is an important part of Western and Middle Eastern cuisine and has been for thousands of years.
Think of them as wasps, but less aggressive, and with a skill more useful than making paper nests.
I do not know whether this form of agriculture is practiced in East Asia, however.