National Apiculture Development Strategy 2024-2032.

The National Apiculture Development Strategy 2024–2032, establishes a national strategic policy framework for the development and transformation of Ethiopia’s apiculture subsector. The Strategy recognises apiculture as a significant economic, social and environmental activity, contributing to rural livelihoods, income generation, food and nutrition security, employment creation, foreign exchange earnings and biodiversity conservation. It identifies Ethiopia’s diverse agro-climatic conditions, rich biodiversity and existing honeybee resources as major foundations for expanding beekeeping, while also acknowledging persistent constraints, including traditional production systems, low technology adoption, limited access to finance, weak extension services, inadequate input quality, poor market organisation, product adulteration, insufficient traceability and underdeveloped export infrastructure. The Strategy aims to create an innovative, transformed, globally competitive and environmentally sustainable apiculture subsector by 2032. It promotes improved and modern beekeeping technologies, increased honeybee production and productivity, diversification of bee products, quality improvement, export promotion and the development of value chains for honey, beeswax and other hive products. It further addresses the need to exploit underused products and services, including propolis, royal jelly, bee venom, pollen, colony sales, pollination services, api-tourism and api-therapy. The Strategy also emphasises integration of apiculture with crop production, forest conservation, protected public lands, pastoral and agro-pastoral systems, and biodiversity management, recognising the role of honeybees in pollination, ecosystem functioning and sustainable natural resource use. The Strategy also calls for improved legal and policy support for beekeeping on public lands, stronger extension structures, better access to credit, development of quality standards, improved marketing and value addition, and enhanced coordination with development partners.