AMMAN — The Hand in Hand for Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship on Saturday said that registration for the "From Hives to Horizons: Building a Sustainable Bee Economy in Jordan" conference, which is scheduled to kick off on Wednesday.

The conference will be attended by representatives from governmental and European bodies, experts, researchers, environmental organisations and entrepreneurs from the Kingdom and the Mediterranean region, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the conference, the Promoting Local Apiary Networks and Bee Entrepreneurial Excellence (PLANBEE) project will be launched to boost local beekeeping networks and entrepreneurial excellence in the sector.

Policymakers, beekeepers, researchers, environmental organisations, entrepreneurs, tourism stakeholders, and civil society representatives will participate to explore how the "bee economy" can stimulate sustainable rural development, protect biodiversity, promote women's entrepreneurship, and foster innovative apitourism (or bee tourism) models.

Main sessions will feature expert insights and high-level panel discussions focusing on vegetation, climate, and biodiversity as key factors in honey quality, authenticity and brand building.

The agenda will include specialised panel discussions and presentations on the current state of beekeeping in Jordan, the impact of climate change, and honey branding.

It will also highlight the role of women entrepreneurs in the sector through the MED Queens initiative and showcase apitourism and honeybee routes as ways to boost community income in rural areas.

The programme aims to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in beekeeping, support sustainable development, and improve the quality of local production, which will contribute to creating new job opportunities and enhancing the competitiveness of Jordanian products in regional and international markets.

The project will also focus on protecting biodiversity and supporting ecotourism and rural tourism related to the beekeeping industry.

PLANBEE is 89 per cent funded by the European Union under the Interreg NEXT MED programme, with a total budget of 2.8 million euros, in partnership with seven institutions from Cyprus, Egypt, Italy, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.

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