Conclusion
In Tanzania, nearly 35,000 hectares of Miombo woodland are being restored alongside investments in bee value chains. Rwanda has trained over 9,000 beekeepers, 30 percent of whom are women and youth, while Ethiopia is using apiculture to support conflict-affected communities in the Afar region. In Latin America, a regional platform is strengthening cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange on pollinators, linking efforts in Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru.
From Azerbaijan’s forest management reforms to Morocco’s oasis revitalization and Iraq’s community-based training, countries are embedding bee-friendly practices in forest, farm and rural development strategies.
Globally, FAO is helping governments align environmental law with pollinator protection—developing policy guidance for lawmakers in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
Through its “One Country One Priority Product” initiative, countries like Benin, Chile, Rwanda and Vietnam are promoting honey as a climate-smart commodity.
And through the Forest and Farm Facility, smallholders in 10 countries are gaining the skills to adopt pollinator-friendly farming. These efforts are reshaping how we farm, govern, and trade—centering bees not just as indicators of ecological health, but as engines of rural transformation.
Pollinator-friendly farming works. It strengthens ecosystems, supports smallholders and helps communities withstand climate shocks.
These practices are rooted in science and proven in the field—from orchard rows to oasis valleys—and they show us a practical, inclusive path toward a food system that lasts.
We all have a role to play. Help by planting pollinator-friendly flowers, especially native species that provide the best support for local pollinators. Avoid using harmful chemicals, particularly during flowering seasons when pollinators are most active, and support local beekeepers and buy honey from sustainable sources.
Encourage schools and municipalities to create pollinator gardens and corridors, which provide safe and nourishing habitats for these essential creatures.
Though small in size, pollinators have an outsized impact. They are climate heroes, biodiversity champions and silent architects of our agrifood systems. Protecting them means safeguarding species but also ensuring the resilience of our food systems and communities. FAO News
