Nicosia, Cyprus. The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve) announced the launch of the PLANBEE project, a Mediterranean-wide initiative aimed at transforming the bee economy into a pillar of rural development.
Project scope and funding
The project, titled Promoting Local Apiary Networks and Bee Entrepreneurial Excellence, aims to foster innovation, environmental stewardship, and sustainable tourism across six partner nations. It is co-funded at 89 per cent by the European Union under the Interreg NEXT MED Programme, with a total budget of €2,807,656 and an EU contribution of €2,498,813.84.
Partners and coordination
The initiative coordinates seven partners from Cyprus, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine, with the project aiming to upscale beekeeping skills and expand the emerging sector of apitourism. The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and A.M. Filagrotiki Symvouleftiki Ltd are among the co-coordinators.
Training and capacity building
A central pillar of the project is capacity building, with plans to upskill more than 120 aspiring entrepreneurs through hands-on coaching and learning tools including mixed-reality simulations. Training will cover organic beekeeping and the creative use of honey in gastronomy, targeting young people and women.
Branding, clusters, and recognition
To support international competitiveness, the project emphasises differentiation and branding and will establish one transnational and six regional clusters to support shared innovation. A key element is the MED Queen Bee brand, which will award and promote 60 outstanding female bee entrepreneurs to recognise their leadership in local economies and ecosystems.
How do you think initiatives like PLANBEE could affect rural development in your region?