Africa honey production has highest global growth rate

Jimma, Ethiopia – The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Qu Dongyu today paid tribute to bees and other pollinators – who he called ‘silent heroes’ – and called for increased international collaboration to protect and use them sustainably, as World Bee Day 2025 was celebrated at a special event hosted by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. 

This year’s theme for World Bee Day, ‘Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all’, highlights the critical roles that more than 20 000 bee species and other pollinators, such as butterflies, birds, and bats, play in agrifood systems and the health of our planet’s ecosystems. 

“Today, we are celebrating bees and other pollinators – small creatures that are essential to our foods, our health, our environment, and our economy,” said Qu via video message at today’s global event in Jimma. “Pollinators have enormous economic value and are silent heroes. Without them, we would lose up to eight percent of global crop production, worth around USD 577 billion, each year. These figures are not just numbers – they represent the jobs, livelihoods, medicines, and foods needed by people around the world,” he said.

Nearly 90 percent of the world’s flowering plants depend on pollinators, as do 75 percent of the world’s most important crops that provide fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds for human consumption.

The FAO Director-General also highlighted the problems that pollinators face, including habitat loss, inappropriate use of harmful chemicals, the impacts of climate change, invasive alien species and parasites, and stressed the critical importance of international collaboration to overcome these challenges. “We all have a role to play in protecting pollinators, such as through better agricultural practices, community engagement, supporting beekeepers, and by developing enabling policies that help pollinators, beekeepers, and farmers,” said Qu.

Thriving honey production in Africa

Globally, honey production reached 1 894 thousand tonnes in 2023, with Africa having the highest growth rate. The continent now accounts for 12 percent of global production, producing 223 000 tonnes annually. Ethiopia is the biggest honey producing country in Africa and tenth in the world. Other important producers of honey in Africa are Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Holding FAO’s global celebration in Ethiopia recognises the country’s importance as a honey producer.

“We are pleased to celebrate this event, a vital platform for Ethiopia to identify challenges and draft solutions for our agricultural sector,” said H.E Girma Amente, Minister of Agriculture of Ethiopia. “I call upon all stakeholders to safeguard pollinators and promote sustainable beekeeping, essential for our sustainable development. I also want to recognize the unreserved support of FAO in these efforts.” 

Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, said there is enormous potential in African honey production. “African honeybees have shown remarkable resilience against parasites and pathogens that cause significant losses elsewhere. African beeswax often appears to have low pesticide contamination, which positions African beekeeping uniquely to benefit from organic and fair-trade niche markets,” he said, highlighting that traditional beekeeping practices serve as a foundation for developing locally-adapted and sustainable management practices.

History of World Bee Day

World Bee Day was established in 2017 by a United Nations resolution following a proposal made by the Government of Slovenia. In a video message today, Mateja Calusic, Slovenia’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, reflected on the meaning of this year’s celebration taking place in a continent where for centuries beekeeping has been an integral part of life and in a country with a ‘remarkable’ beekeeping tradition. She also noted the lessons that bees have to offer us. “At a time when the world is shaken by war, climate change and food crises, bees teach us precious lessons. They work in silence yet with perfect coordination.  They are small yet their impact is enormous.  Their organization is proof that the common good is stronger than individual interests,” she said.

Today’s celebration included a photo exhibition and screening of an animated film for youth called Asali: The Power of the Pollinators.

2nd International Forum for Action on Sustainable Beekeeping and Pollination

The World Bee Day celebration was held at the start of the Second International Forum for Action on Sustainable Beekeeping and Pollination which is co-organized by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Republic of Slovenia, and FAO with the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations (Apimondia). 

The forum is a platform to exchange knowledge, showcase innovative beekeeping initiatives, inspire global action for pollinator-friendly agricultural practices, and coordinate efforts to conserve and protect pollinators worldwide.

There will be two panel discussions. The first will be on the role of beekeeping in enhancing food security and promoting livelihoods, with a keynote speech by Jeff Pettis, Apimondia president. The second panel discussion will focus on international action and cooperation, with a keynote speech by Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Director of Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. 

At follow-up sessions, global experts will discuss sustainability and pollinator protection. Young beekeepers and farmers from Ethiopia will share their experiences and insights. The two-day forum will close with a field visit to see sustainable beekeeping practices.

In the context of FAO’s 80th anniversary celebration this year, the FAO Director-General thanked the governments of Ethiopia and Slovenia and all FAO’s partners for making the event possible and for their continued support towards FAO’s mandate. “This forum is an opportunity for us to share knowledge, build stronger partnerships, and work together towards a future where bees and other pollinators are protected, agriculture is sustainable, and food security is ensured for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.”