Partnership Ready Ethiopia: Honey and Beeswax
Current situation been observed in the past years, due to adulteration and fraud.
Further challenges are recurrent drought, which affects the
supply line, and illegal cross-border honey trade. Moreover,
much of Ethiopian production is highly fragmented, undertaken
Ethiopia is renowned within Africa for its beekeeping potential through individual farmers with little capacity for amalgamation
as well as its highly diverse honeybee flora and number of bee of production into bulk for processing for either mainstream
colonies (the highest on the continent). These characteristics local markets or export. In some areas, honey production is not
contribute to the country being one of the largest honey produc- recognised as an income generating activity, but more as an
ers, granting it first place in Africa and tenth worldwide. Ethiopia agricultural tool in enabling pollination, for example at coffee
is also the third largest producer of beeswax. The low levels of farms, which respectively increases the yields.
pesticide utilisation make Ethiopian honey and beeswax poten-
tially very attractive to export markets. The variation in Ethiopia’s Despite these hurdles, the Ethiopian Government has identified
biodiversity as well as its agro-climatic conditions contribute the sector as offering growth potential, including targeting the
to the potential for extensive honey and beeswax production. export sector as a foreign exchange earning source, one generat-
Furthermore, beekeeping and honey making are widely spread ing additional off-farm income for small-scale farmers and lead-
across the country. Aside from honey for table production, there ing to poverty alleviation in rural areas. The sector is also seen
is also potential for mono-floriculture honey, industrial honey as offering potential for job creation in rural and urban areas and
and for organic and fair-trade honey. has encouraged, apart from beekeeping itself, the production of
beekeeping equipment and beehives amongst jobless urban and
However, there are sometimes quality problems, such as inadmis- landless youth.
sible addition of smoke and dirt. Honey quality deterioration has
PARTNERSHIP READY ETHIOPIA: HONEY AND BEESWAX
Importantly, following an initiative of the Ethiopian Government,
the country was able to attain European Union (EU) accreditation
for export of Ethiopian honey to the EU from 2008. The Govern-
ment is keen to ensure that this status is maintained and has since
then undertaken rigorous annual Residual Monitoring Planning
for ongoing compliance. Based on this strict EU accreditation,
doors are opened also for other international markets that accept
the EU accreditation as exceeding their own minimum require-
ment levels (e.g. United States of America).
Market specifics
The country has a very high number of active bee colonies, esti-
mated to be over 10 million colonies. Of these colonies, it is esti- and traditional hives are inexpensive to make. They can house large
mated that between 5 and 7.5 million are hived, with the remainder amounts of bees, are best if one is looking to get large quantities of
being wild. If this estimate is accurate, it shows that there remains wax. Also, varroa infestation seems to be less prevalent, and finally
substantial opportunity for further growth through additional hive these hives are hard to steal as they are usually hung on tall trees.
capture. Estimates of actual honey production are also difficult to
pinpoint with any accuracy – although the Ministry of Agriculture In line with the dual rainfall season pattern in Ethiopia, there are
and FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) puts production at generally two honey harvesting seasons. The primary season is
some 53,000 tonnes of honey annually. Some estimates put the between October and November with a subsequent one between
actual production even significantly higher. Annual beeswax pro- April and June. Including some of the wetter areas and their more
duction in the country is said to be round 3,800 tonnes. However, generally diverse range of flora, some areas can yield success-
various sources estimate the annual production potential to be fully even out of season, giving the country full-year production
500,000 tonnes of honey and 50,000 tonnes of beeswax. capacity.
Most of Ethiopian honey production is carried out using tradi- DOMESTIC MARKET
tional beehives, with up to 97% of the beehive population being
housed in traditional hives. This follows practice carried out in Consumption of honey in Ethiopia is characteristically very high. It
Ethiopia over many centuries and reflects mainly forest beekeeping has been estimated that beekeepers consume around 10% of their
especially in the southern and southwestern forests as well as the total production, with the remaining 90% being sold for income
backyard beekeeping popular throughout the country. However, generation. By far the majority of the latter is sold for “tej” – honey
this methodology is inefficient in comparison to more modern wine – and this is mainly prepared locally. The quality of the honey
beekeeping methods. Traditional beehives will yield between 5 used for this purpose is not considered to be important and the
and 8 kg per bee colony per year whilst more modern hives – top sector accepts honey directly from hives without filtering or other
bar hives or frame hives – will yield up to 20 or 30 kg annually. forms of quality control. By-products of the process include the
Although the Government and NGO initiatives have sought to wax, which can be filtered from the raw material used for tej,
promote the uptake of modern hives, to date uptake has not been although it is mainly thrown away.
significant – estimates are at around the 100,000-hive level. There
are several problems with traditional beehives, bee manage- Estimates for consumption into the tej sector vary substantially
ment and honey harvesting are difficult in such hives and usually from 50 to 80% of total production. However, these estimates may
the quality and quantity of honey is less. Also, during harvesting, be incomplete due to claims of informal export of honey to Sudan,
combs are cut off and colonies often destroyed. But traditional Somalia and Djibouti. A significant volume (some estimates are as
beehives have also behoof for local farmers. Traditional beekeeping high as 3,500 tonnes) is also taken out informally through Addis
utilizes cheap and plentiful local materials for hive construction Ababa’s Bole International Airport in people’s luggage, especially
2
PARTNERSHIP READY ETHIOPIA: HONEY AND BEESWAX
for the diaspora markets. Smaller volumes are processed – usually → EU ACCREDITATION AND RESIDUAL
at smaller scales – into table honey for sale in shops and super- MONITORING PLAN
markets in Addis Ababa, generally being brought to the capital in
relatively small quantities that have been bulked from rural areas. Under the formal export activities and the Residual Monitoring
Plan administered through the Ministry of Agriculture, the export-
→ EXPORT MARKET ers prepare their plans for the year ahead. Governed by the relevant
EU directive for honey (96/23/EC), the sampling levels for honey
Despite the potential attraction of Ethiopian honey in export mar- monitoring are fixed for the levels and frequencies for sampling.
kets, actual exports are very low in relation to annual production The number of samples collected is determined according to the
as well as in terms of market share in target markets. Aside from formula concerned and the honey samples collected at different
the structural aspects of the sector as indicated above, a major fac- locations from the different members of the Ethiopian Honey
tor is also pricing – domestic pricing generally being significantly and Beeswax Producers and Exporters Association (EHBPEA) to
higher than the one for export markets. Furthermore, the require- ensure that results are representative of the overall honey quality.
ments for quality control, traceability and certifications needed to The honey sampled from the EHBPEA members is not specific in
access international markets may well be considered as additional enabling that member to sell to the EU – honey from all EHBPEA
burdens that do not pay off considering the low export market members is eligible.
pricing. Despite the existing constraints, a few honey processors
and exporters have emerged; these have managed to certify their After completion of testing, the samples are forwarded to an ac-
products and are able to penetrate international markets. credited laboratory for the analysis to take place. Currently, there
are no accredited laboratories within Ethiopia able to carry out the
Including the indicated honey exports for 2017/2018 and those required tests. Chemiphar Uganda (U) Ltd, an accredited laboratory
planned for 2018/2019, the eleven-year average remains around in Uganda, has been used in the past and currently a laboratory
635 tonnes annually. Neighbouring Sudan has remained consist- in Germany, namely Intertec, is used. The Ethiopian Government
ently the largest formal export destination, while the EU exports is keen to develop the capacity of the local laboratories to ensure
have been to Norway, the UK, Germany, Italy and France – com- such tests can be carried out inside the country in the future.
prising approximately 15% of the average totals.
Honey Exports by Major Import Partners
Export Quantity in tons 9 year
Country 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Average
SUDAN 145,7 492,1 531,1 301,7 312,4 221,0 176,7 173,3 166,0 280,0
NORWAY 40,0 59,7 120,6 278,0 427,8 297,9 205,3 159,7 103,0 184,7
UK 44,1 17,4 31,1 62,6 54,4 45,3 41,8 54,4 44,0 43,9
GERMANY 0,0 20,3 0,0 20,3 20,9 86,2 83,5 43,4 62,0 37,4
YEMEN 16,0 8,5 6,0 27,9 44,3 55,0 14,8 5,7 2,0 18,8
SAUDI ARABIA 23,6 12,8 21,9 20,8 10,4 9,1 2,8 1,6 3,0 11,8
JAPAN 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 44,4 4,9 0,0 7,0 6,3
ITALY 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 21,4 20,9 0,0 0,0 4,7
FRANCE 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 42,0 7,0
SOMALIA 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 0,0 45,6 40,7 64,2 68,0 24,3
OTHERS 5,1 2,4 7,7 15,1 25,4 2,0 26,3 40,9 3,0 13,3
TOTAL 274,4 615,2 728,6 726,7 884,8 798,4 617,7 543,0 500,0 632,1
Source: Ethiopian Customs and ITC via Ethiopian Honey and Beeswax Producers and Exporters Association, September 2018
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PARTNERSHIP READY ETHIOPIA: HONEY AND BEESWAX
Quality standards Current EU standards within Directive 2001/1/110 EU
Characteristics Specification Revised CODEX 2001
Moisture % < 20 The same
→ HONEY SECTOR STANDARDS Fructose + glucose % > 60 The same
Sucrose % <5 The same
Standards for the honey sector have been in place in Ethiopia since
2005. However, adherence to these standards is currently voluntary. Water insoluble % < 0.1 The same
Prepared under the direction of the Agricultural and Food Technical Electrical conductivity
Committee and published by the Quality and Standards Authority < 0.8 The same
mS.cm-1
of Ethiopia, there are currently three Ethiopian standards applicable
Free Acid meq. kg-1 < 50 The same
to the honey and beeswax sector:
Honeys with low
ES 1202: 2005 – Honey-Specification Distase activity DN >8 natural enzyme
ES 1203: 2005 – Beeswax-Specification content > 3 DN
ES 1204: 2005 – Beehives-Specification
HMF mg. kg-1 < 40
Honeys of tropical
climate and blends < 80
Honey characteristic requirements
Characteristics Specification Test method
For beeswax similar characteristic requirements are set out along
Apparent reducing sugar with testing methodologies.
65 Annex B
(as invert sugar) % by mass min
Apparent sucrose content Regarding beehives, three different types are subjected to
10 Annex C
% by mass max Ethiopian standards, namely:
Water insoluble solids contents
% by mass max
0.1 Annex D Top Bar Hives (termed intermediate)
Zander Hives (termed modified)
Mineral content (ash)
% by mass max
0.6 Annex E Langstroth Hives
Acidity mill equivalents acid The standard describes the above-listed hives and their construc-
40 Annex F
per kg
tion in detail. The aim is to improve the quality of those hives,
Diastase activity, 1 % starch which will replace the traditional log ones.
solution hydrolysed by the
enzyme in 1 gram of honey in 3 Annex G
1 hour at 40o C → ETHIOPIAN HONEY SPECIFICATION
Hydroxymethyl furfural content Historical tests have been undertaken on key parameters for sam-
40 Annex H
mg/kg
ples undertaken by Ethiopian authorities such as the Biochemical
Laboratory of the Ethiopian Authority of Standardisation in 1988,
1994 and 1996, including details on moisture contents (Fichtl and
Detailed for example in the Honey Specification are the require- Adi, 1994; Kassaye and Adgaba, 1988; Adgaba, 1996). These have
ments for honey. Those are comparable with the current EU been compared against selected national, regional and interna-
standards contained within Directive 2001/1/110 EU, illustrated tional standards.
in Table 3. The Annexes referred specify the testing methodology
and are included within the Standards. Also included are hygiene
requirements, packaging and labelling requirements and the deter-
mination of the moisture content.
4
PARTNERSHIP READY ETHIOPIA: HONEY AND BEESWAX
Comparison between mean of quality state parametres of Ethiopian honey with already set national, regional
and international standards (Adgaba 1996 – sourced through: “Review of progress in Ethiopian honey production
and marketing” G Y Legesse)
Country / organisation Moisture Total reducing Sucrose Acidity Mineral HMF Distase activity
content % sugars % content % meq/kg content % in Goethe scale
EU 21 65 5 40 1 40 3-10
FAO/WHO 22-23 65 5-10 40 0.61 80 3-10
Spain 22,5 70 3 5 0.6 - -
Canada 20 60 8 - 0.25 - -
Latin America Codex 20 - 8 54 0.8 - -
Argentina 18 - 8 54 0.4 40 -
Mexico - 63.9 9 8.52 0.25 - -
Test samples Ethiopia
Range 15-32 59-77 0.01-13 17.95 0.01-1.16 0.96-96 1.5-21.4
Mean 20.6 65.6 3.6 39.9 0.23 32.4 6.3
Source: Adgaba 1996
Framework conditions required beekeeping equipment and accessories, carry out training
and extension services at all levels, supervise and provide technical
assistance and advice to the farmers, including those involved in
apiculture.
→ GOVERNMENT POLICY
→ LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Government policy is geared towards encouraging the develop-
ment of the honey and beeswax sector with the objective of Currently, there is no specific Ethiopian legislation covering export
generating additional income for smallholders, employment of honey and other bee products. Exports are covered currently
in rural and urban areas for the poor and generation of foreign under the requirements of the Department of Meat and Dairy
exchange. As detailed above, this has extended to the attainment Industry of the Ministry of Agriculture. However, the Hive Products
and maintenance of accreditation for honey products into EU Marketing Proclamation is now in the process of being developed
markets, establishing standards for the honey production sector through the Department of Apiculture and Sericulture with the
and encouraging the establishment of accredited laboratories for process said to be currently 80 % complete and the first draft of
testing of honey and beeswax for specifications as well as residues. the Proclamation is in place. It is awaiting its turn to pass through
This latter initiative has yet to bear fruit while the adherence to the Parliament.
honey and beeswax production standards is largely dependent on
access to foreign testing laboratories that are expensive as well as With strong support for and lobbying of the Ethiopian Honey
voluntary. and Beeswax Producers and Exporters Association as well as the
Ethiopian Apiculture Board, the overall objective is to formalise
Government support for the sector has been strong in other areas the sector. Amongst other areas, it is also expected to:
as well. Within the Ministry of Agriculture there is a dedicated
unit – the Department of Apiculture and Sericulture. This depart- Take steps to prevent the ongoing illegal export of honey
ment is responsible for carrying out the Residual Monitoring Plan Make the adherence to the three bees and honey related
for the EU accreditation programme. standards mandatory
Establish a honey quality logo for use in hotels, supermarkets
This department also oversees the training in apiculture in all and other retail outlets, certifying that the product has met
districts in Ethiopia, including promotion of modern beehive the required standards
technology. The Bureaus of Agriculture in the Regional States are Establish stringent rules of export procedures based on
responsible for the development of beekeeping in their individual those required for export to the EU
respective states. These bureaus plan activity programmes, supply
5
PARTNERSHIP READY ETHIOPIA: HONEY AND BEESWAX
→ INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
Research is carried out through two primary Government insti-
tutes – the Melkasa National Bee Research Division and the Holeta
Bee Research Centre.
Melkasa National Bee Research Division
The Melkasa National Bee Research Division is a bee research divi-
sion hosted under the Melkasa Agricultural Research Centre of the
Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR). It is the centre
of excellence for overall apiculture research that coordinates all
apicultural research activities at national level.
Holeta Bee Research Centre
The Holeta Bee Research Centre is hosted under the Oromia
Agriculure Research Institute of the Oromia Regional State. It is
the pioneer centre responsible for apiculture research in the coun-
try. It undertakes adaptive and applied research on bee botany, bee
biology, hive products, bee health, bee management and beekeep-
Specific legislation covering natural products is contained in the ing equipment. It coordinates national apicultural research pro-
Forest Development, Conservation and Utilisation Proclamation jects, including honeybee diseases and pests. It seeks to develop
2017. This Proclamation aims to promote sustainable develop- and increase awareness in appropriate technologies. The center
ment, conservation and utilisation of forest and forest resources, offers beekeeping trainings for beekeepers, development agents
through promotion and recognition of community ownership and other extension staff as well as for principal investors. At
and public participation. Regional states remain empowered to present, apiculture research has begun in SNNPR, Amhara, Tigray,
set and collect rates of royalty payments for forest outputs. Gambella and Beneshangul Gumuz Regional States.
→ EXPORT PROCEDURES Ethiopian Honey and Beeswax Producers and Exporters
Association (EHBPEA)
Although there is no specific legislation yet covering production, Together with the Ethiopian Society of Apiculture Science (ESAS)
processing or export of honey and beeswax, normal export proce- and the Ethiopian Apiculture Board (EAB), the EHBPEA is an asso-
dures for goods and commodities apply for this sector. Exporters ciation which provides support for the development interventions
need to be in possession of an export licence as well as the in the apiculture sector of Ethiopia. It was founded in 2005 and has
Certificate of Competency in the sector. This latter requirement now more than 50 members.
is generally a one-off procedure at the Ministry of Agriculture,
whereby the exporter is assessed for its facilities as well as its Ethiopian Agribusiness Accelerator Platform (EAAP)
capacity for storage, processing, packaging etc. As part of the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA),
the EAAP seeks to build two to three value chains that will mean-
The export licence is issued by the Department of Trade and ingfully increase smallholder farmers’ incomes and enable Ethiopia
Industry – this is renewable annually after initial issue and is to become globally competitive in those commodities and related
dependent on settlement of the annual profits tax. Aside from packaged products. The first value chain to be addressed under
these requirements, the export requirements will then be more the programme is that of honey. Focusing largely on infrastructural
dependent on the needs for the importing country, including and capacity constraints identified as the main factors hampering
issue of Certificates of Origin as needed (through the Chamber full potential, this programme will address:
of Commerce) and/or phytosanitary certificates (through the
Ministry of Agriculture). Incubation – professionalizing smaller enterprises using
a readily scalable approach
Acceleration – scaling relatively mature enterprises
Ecosystem – focusing on support enterprises including input
suppliers, quality testing laboratories, packaging companies
6
PARTNERSHIP READY ETHIOPIA: HONEY AND BEESWAX
Amongst the expected outcomes of the programme by 2020 are: Positive current developments and enabling conditions:
Return to growth in the Ethiopian organic honey export market Political commitment from the Ethiopian government,
which supports the sub-sector
Establishing one or two recognized and widely available
Investment incentives such as tax exemptions
domestic honey brands
One acceleration participant successfully raised growth equity Support from a number of development partners which
offer support for the sub-sector
and two to three incubation participants raised seed capital
Threefold increase in farmer yields as a result of transitioning Intra-African trade agreement between 44 countries
from traditional to modern beekeeping Various watershed management initiatives, which aim the
integration of the apiculture
Continuously growing und unsatisfied domestic market
Business opportunities
There are a range of business opportunities within the honey and
beeswax sector in Ethiopia that are of potential interest to German i Examples of development cooperation:
and other European companies. Amongst others, these include:
On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic
Import of EU-accredited bulk honey for table use Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Opportunity to develop monofloroculture honeys for import
in Ethiopia carries out different projects that support
to Germany and Europe, including specialist white honeys
beekeepers in improving the honey value chain.
Opportunity to develop scale imports of industrial honey for
More information can be found here:
import to Germany and Europe
www.giz.de/en/worldwide/38013.html
Limited opportunity to expand certified honey for import to
Germany and Europe – organic, fair trade in particular www.giz.de/en/worldwide/85829.html
Opportunity to develop fully traceable honey value chains www.giz.de/en/worldwide/32209.html
building on the Ethiopian Agribusiness Accelerator Platform
and others
Opportunity to develop fully branded table honey in jars for the
domestic markets through retail, supermarket and hotel sector
Opportunity to develop scalable quality beeswax production for
export through awareness building and enabling traceable raw
material supply chains in link with smallholder honey producers
Ultimately opportunity to develop beeswax refining capacity in
Ethiopia targeting premium export markets for cosmetic and
pharmaceutical sectors
Develop opportunities for nationally branded honey-based
mead wine (“Tej”) as a quality beverage that is nationally
recognised and widely available
Following on from developing of a national “Tej” brand, explore
regional and possibly international export opportunities
Sourcing honey and beeswax from naturally conserved
biosphere forests
7
PARTNERSHIP READY ETHIOPIA: HONEY AND BEESWAX
YOUR PARTNER FOR NEW MARKETS – NEW OPPORTUNITIES:
DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION ETHIOPIA
Economic growth creates jobs, improves people’s incomes, In order to support the sustainable engagement of
and promotes innovation. That is why the United Nations German companies in emerging and developing countries,
2030 Agenda provides for the active involvement of the Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), Deutsche Gesellschaft
private sector in the implementation of the Sustainable für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the
Development Goals (SDGs). The Global Business Network German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHKs) as well as
(GBN) Programme encourages local and German companies other partners combined their expertise in the publication
to get involved in sustainable economic development series “New Markets – New Opportunities”.
in selected countries in Africa and Asia. Via Business &
Cooperation Desks, the GBN-Coordinators provide infor- The booklet shows companies the economic potential of
mation, advice and guidance for businesses on existing future markets as well as the funding and consulting
support, financing and cooperation instruments of German opportunities offered by the German development coop-
development cooperation. The GBN-Coordinators work eration. “New Markets – New Opportunities: A Guide for
closely with the German Chamber of Commerce Abroad German Companies” is supported by the Federal Ministry
(AHK) regional offices. The GBN is funded by the German for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). All
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Develop- issues are published on the websites of GTAI and GIZ. You
ment (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft can find selected issues, for example on Ethiopia, also at
für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
www.bmz.de/ez-scouts
www.bmz.de/gbn
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As at Eschborn, September 2020
