Ethiopia
Bees for Development Ethiopia is a specialist beekeeping organisation, established in Ethiopia in 2013 to serve the nation by teaching and promoting sustainable apiculture and protecting/regenerating the natural landscape.
Their mission is to lift people out of poverty and to support healthy agricultural and natural landscapes, through sustainable beekeeping. They envision a country where sustainable beekeeping enhances people’s well-being and incentivises people to care for nature.
Bees for Development Ethiopia is working to help those living in poverty generate a sustainable income while helping restore the degraded environment they live in. By helping beekeepers practice Nature-based Beekeeping, regenerate degraded land and encouraging farmers to reduce pesticides, they are helping to create an environment where bees and people can thrive together.
Our team in Ethiopia
Tilahun Gebey
Director
Getsh Kassa
Program Manager
Agazhe Tsgaye
Project Coordinator
Baye Getahun
Project Manager
Wonde Sahilemariam
Honey Marketing and Livelihood Officer
Haile Anley
Finance Officer
Anteneh Ayalew
Finance and Admin Head
Alemwork Yeneabat
Finance Officer
Habtam Derebie
Cashier
Welelaw Ayehualem
IPM Field Worker
Melaku Tadesse
IPM Field Worker
Efrem Derbie
Beekeeper Trainer
More Bees
Around Lake Tana in the Amhara region, chemical pesticides are the only method being used to protect crops from the harmful pests. These pesticides effect a broad spectrum of insects, including bees, and can be harmful to the health of those who consume the crops. Undermining the livelihoods of the farmers as well as local beekeepers.
Bees for Development Ethiopia is working with farmers, entomologists and extension officers across 8 Kebeles to address this issue.
Through the creation of farmer field schools that teach and demonstrate the benefits of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), farmers learn to identify and protect pollinators, to manage pests without relying only on toxic chemicals. This enables smallholders to sustainably increase and diversify their income through beekeeping.
IBNAT
The Ibnat district in Amhara has recorded high levels of youth unemployment in recent years. While this issue is not unique to Ibnat it is especially prevalent there. Ibnat is also an area of high beekeeping potential.
Bees for Development Ethiopia is working with 120 young men (60) and women (60) helping them create a sustainable income source through beekeeping. By teaching the selected youths how to keep bees in a low cost, sustainable way they are able to generate a consistent income with the potential to grow into a career.
Alongside the beekeeping training the new beekeepers are also being taught how to manage their finances and work together for financial stability through Village Savings and Loans Groups.
Pollinator Training Toolkit
Pollination underpins food security, resilient agriculture and supports biodiversity. In Ethiopia habitat loss and agrochemical use pose great risks to this ecosystem service which is often taken for granted. Most Ethiopian farmers have no knowledge about pollination and have been taught that all insects, except honey bees, are pests. The government extension service does not provide training on pollination, citing lack of knowledge and tools.
This project is developing a Pollination Training Toolkit and making it available to every extension worker so that they have tools to teach farmers about pollination and the benefits insects can have on their crops. This toolkit is based around practical demonstrations where farmers will be able to see the benefits for themselves and be encouraged to reduce pesticide use and support pollinators in their crops.
TRANSFORM
This project aims to support conservation livelihoods in the montane rainforests of South West Ethiopia. Specifically, it tackles issues that are inhibiting development of enterprises based on forest-conserving wild coffee and honey. The project focuses upon the creation of sustainable supply chains for these two non-timber forest products, by introducing improved quality assurance and new traceability systems, as well as creating trade links between community enterprises and national and international buyers.
As a result, community enterprises should receive premium prices for sustainably managed forest-conserving products, thereby demonstrating the economic value of the forests and providing financial incentives for communities to protect their forests and conserve the rich biodiversity.
The project is underpinned by a commitment to strengthen the already established Participatory Forestry Management across these forests, which promotes local responsibility and institutional empowerment, sustainable economic development opportunities and biodiversity conservation. It works specifically with some of the poorest forest-fringe farmers and beekeepers in the region.
Case Study
Belay Gerito is a 42 year old man from the Duyina Kebele in Andracha, Southwest Ethiopia and is a member of the Shenobegati cooperative.
Belay has been a beekeeper most of his life, he is skilled in climbing high into the forest canopy to place beehives and collect honey.
In spite of this Belay has only ever been able to use beekeeping as a small fraction of his household income, most of which comes from growing coffee. Without a steady market available for his honey he didn’t see the benefit of growing his beekeeping beyond a few hives, even with the support of beekeeping projects in the region who donated top-bar beehives to help beekeepers expand.
With the Transform project helping cooperatives in Anderacha create stronger honey markets for the last two years Belay is now expanding his beekeeping for the first time in decades.
In the 2025 main harvest period he produced 450kg of honey and has built more than 100 beehives, many of which have been colonised. The income he received from his honey sales has for the first time become a major part of his finances and is allowing him to expand and grow.
Belay Gerito (centre) with team members from Bees for Development Ethiopia
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