Food security expert Dr. Fadel ELZUBI stressed that beekeeping in Jordan is a cornerstone of national food security, far beyond honey production. He noted that the free pollination services bees provide to crops make safeguarding this small creature a strategic priority deserving major policy attention.
His remarks came during the launch of the Second Jordanian Honey Festival 2026 at Al-Hussein Gardens in Amman, organized by the Jordanian Beekeepers’ Union under the patronage of Minister of Agriculture, under the theme “Jordanian Honey… Nature’s Authentic Gold.” The festival has now established itself as a permanent annual event on Jordan’s agricultural calendar, coinciding with rising global concern over bee protection as one of the most vital contributors to agricultural production and food security.
ELZUBI told Al-Rai that the issue is “much bigger than honey,” pointing to FAO estimates that about 75 percent of global food crops depend to varying degrees on pollinators, primarily bees. He added that the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) values pollination services at between USD 235–577 billion annually. Bees, he explained, not only boost yields but also improve fruit and seed quality, preserve plant diversity, and sustain the ecosystems upon which agriculture itself depends. Declining pollinator populations worldwide, he warned, represent not just a beekeepers’ problem but a direct threat to food supply chains.
He emphasized that honey is only the most visible product of the hive. Colonies also produce royal jelly, propolis, pollen, beeswax, and venom—products with expanding medical, nutritional, and cosmetic uses that can significantly increase the economic returns of a single apiary if properly developed and marketed.
Jordan’s beekeeping sector comprises 3,000–4,000 beekeepers managing around 80,000 hives, with annual production typically ranging between 600–800 tons, covering about 70 percent of domestic demand. Imports fill the remaining gap. The country produces nearly 19 types of honey, including sidr, citrus, eucalyptus, wildflower, and mountain honey, sustaining thousands of rural households and providing income opportunities for youth and women. Yet the 2025 season exposed the sector’s vulnerability to climate change, as output fell by more than 60 percent to around 350 tons due to drought and poor nectar pastures, compounded by pesticide use, diseases (notably varroa mites), high production costs, imported and adulterated honey, limited financing, and weak marketing channels.
The Ministry of Agriculture is working to license apiaries and assign national ID numbers to hives, building a reliable database for planning, monitoring, and traceability. Meanwhile, the Beekeepers’ Union has turned the honey festival into a national platform that connects producers directly with consumers, promotes Jordanian honey culture, and strengthens trust through training, modern techniques, quality testing, and anti-fraud measures. The Union has also forged strategic partnerships, including with FAO to build technical and managerial capacity, and with the Agricultural Credit Corporation to provide soft loans enabling beekeepers to modernize operations and expand production.
ELZUBI concluded that protecting the beekeeping sector requires safeguarding natural pastures and nectar-bearing trees, expanding bee-friendly plantings, regulating pesticide use, supporting research and innovation, and broadening financing and insurance programs. He called for stronger marketing of Jordanian honey domestically and abroad as a high-quality national product with proven international recognition. “Every dinar invested in protecting the bee,” he affirmed, “is a direct investment in the future of agriculture and food security in Jordan.”