Jimma City was abuzz from May 20 to 22, 2025, as it hosted a vibrant three-day celebration for World Bee Day, held alongside the Second International Forum on Sustainable Beekeeping. Themed “Bee Inspired by Nature to Nourish Us All,” this event was a collaborative effort by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. The occasion provided a platform to highlight the vital role of bees in sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and global food security.

The forum attracted a diverse assembly of international and local participants. Attendees included representatives from United Nations agencies, governmental bodies, beekeeping associations, environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), conservation groups, academic and research institutions, private sector entities, agribusinesses, youth initiatives, and local communities. Notable attendees included Adam Farah, Deputy Chairman of the Prosperity Party; delegates from the FAO; and senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture. The celebration, featuring exhibitions, insightful panel discussions, presentations of research, and educational field visits, showcased the country’s rich beekeeping heritage and its strong commitment to pollinator protection.

Panel Discussion on International Cooperation to Protect Pollinators

A forum highlight was a panel of international experts, policymakers, scientists, and civil society leaders discussing global strategies for pollinator protection. The panel included Tadele Tefera (PhD) of icipe; Yurdi Yasmi, Director, NSP, FAO; Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias from Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change; Asegid Adane, Deputy Country Director for UNIDO; Ambassador Alejandro Estivill Castro, Ambassador of Mexico to Ethiopia and Permanent Observer to the African Union; Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity; and Raquel Hilianova Soto Torres, Vice Minister of Peru’s Ministry of the Environment.

Tadele underscored icipe’s global leadership in pioneering pollinator-friendly agroecological approaches, such as integrated pest and pollinator management achieved through international collaboration. He emphasised that pollinators transcend national borders, serving all countries and continents, thus necessitating coordinated global efforts for their safeguarding.

Exhibition and Product Showcase

A diverse variety of honey and hive-based products, encompassing beeswax, cosmetics, and other value-added items, were showcased by enterprising beekeepers, seasoned experts, and innovators from Ethiopia, various African nations, Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Prominent among the exhibitors were young beekeepers participating in the Mass Youth Employment in Apiculture (MaYEA) and More Young Entrepreneurs in Silk and Honey (MOYESH) programmes. Key partners of icipe, Green Face and Ecopia PLC, and  Apneic, also presented their products.

The dynamism of youth entrepreneurs, nurtured by icipe and the Mastercard Foundation, was particularly striking. Over 30 young beekeepers from the Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, Southwest Ethiopia, and South Ethiopia regional states exhibited top-quality table honey. Their offerings included organically certified honey from the Limmu, Wenago, and Alle districts, alongside products from the Meles Union in Tigray. Their vibrant displays captivated both national and international visitors, boosting their visibility and fostering crucial market connections.

The support from icipe and the Mastercard Foundation has been instrumental in transforming the livelihoods of thousands of young individuals through beekeeping and associated value chain enterprises. Yenenesh Debela from Wenago district, South Ethiopia region, and Girmay Tade from Wag Himra district, Amhara region, were among the inspiring participants and honey exhibitors who shared their compelling success narratives during the World Bee Day event.

Yenenesh’s journey began five years ago when she co-founded a beekeeping enterprise with ten members, six women and four men, under the MOYESH program.

“We received training and start-up resources from icipe and the Mastercard Foundation and began with 20 hives,” she explained.

Today, their enterprise operates 56 active hives, all teeming with bee colonies, producing up to 1,000 kilograms of honey annually and generating 500,000 Br a year in revenue, supported by complementary ventures such as cattle rearing.

“Crucially,” Yenenesh added, “we shattered the longstanding taboo that confined women to domestic roles by engaging in beekeeping, a field traditionally dominated by men.”

A similar success stories is Girmay Tade, a honey exhibitor from the Wag Himra district of the Amhara region. He shared his beekeeping experiences, detailing how the venture improved his life, empowered him to support his family, and established him as a model young beekeeper within his community.