Beekeeping protecting food security in South Africa.

South Africa is stepping up efforts to strengthen its beekeeping sector, with Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen reaffirming government’s commitment to safeguarding the country’s honeybee populations and the livelihoods that depend on them.

Speaking at the Beekeeping Awareness Field Day at Oude Raapkraal in Westlake, Cape Town, he described honeybees as “the farmers of the sky,” emphasising their essential yet often overlooked contribution to food security, biodiversity, and rural economies.

Addressing attendees, Steenhuisen highlighted that bees play a far greater role than simply producing honey. “They do not use tractors or ploughs, yet their work ensures that nearly 75% of our food crops bear fruit. In South Africa, bee pollination contributes more than R10 billion every year to agriculture,” he said. This pollination service directly supports the country’s food production system and indirectly fuels job creation across numerous agricultural industries.

Beekeeping, recognised under the Animal Improvement Act (Act No. 62 of 1998) as part of agricultural activity, is closely aligned with several national priorities. These include increased agricultural output, improved food and nutrition security, strengthened biosecurity measures, and improved market access for local producers. However, Steenhuisen warned that multiple threats including habitat loss, prolonged drought, and irresponsible pesticide use are putting bee populations at risk. “When the land stops flowering, bees go hungry, colonies weaken, and honey yields decline,” he cautioned.

He encouraged citizens and farmers to play a role in restoring bee forage. “Imagine if every farm, school, and roadside in South Africa became a bee garden – filled with indigenous plants, fruit trees, and wildflowers,” Steenhuisen said. He also stressed the importance of responsible pesticide management, warning that “spraying at the wrong time, during bloom, can kill thousands of bees overnight.” To mitigate this, the department is promoting integrated pest management and improved communication between farmers and beekeepers.

Beyond pollination, the Minister drew attention to the honey value chain, which holds significant economic potential. South Africa produces up to 2,500 tons of honey per year but consumes nearly twice that amount. As a result, domestic markets rely heavily on imports, with a large portion sourced from China. “We rely heavily on the imports of natural honey, with more than 80% of our imported honey coming from China… Since there is such a high demand for this product, we have seen an increase of very poor quality and sometimes adulterated honey,” Steenhuisen said.

To protect consumers and support local producers, the Department of Agriculture’s Inspection Services will conduct an operation in December to remove mislabelled or counterfeit honey products from shop shelves. Steenhuisen said these efforts form part of a broader initiative to build a trustworthy, competitive, and locally driven honey sector.

Progress is also being made in research and biosecurity. Key priorities include the development of a National Beekeeping/Apiculture Strategy, an American foulbrood (AFB) Management and Response Strategy, a national Bee Forage Strategy, and the finalisation of the Residue Monitoring Plan required for honey exports to the EU. The department has also revived the Honey Value Chain Round-Table Forum and re-established cooperation with the South African Bee Industry Organisation (SABIO). In addition, the Agricultural Research Council has been commissioned to conduct a national survey on AFB as part of its mandate to protect beekeeping and pollination services.

“Our task is clear - to protect these pollinators, nurture our beekeepers, and grow South Africa's honey industry into a model of sustainability and pride. Together, we can make sure that the hum of the honeybee continues to be the sound of life, abundance, and hope for generations to come.”

Uganda’s identity will feature prominently in Cotti Coffee advertising across major Asian cities.

Uganda’s coffee sector has recorded a significant milestone after local exporters clinched trade deals worth US$3mn during the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.

The event, held from 5–10 November, saw Uganda’s coffee take centre stage as four prominent exporters — Meg Rae Coffee, Kwezi Coffee, Inspire Africa, and Elgon Coffee — showcased both green and roasted varieties. Their participation was supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), which coordinated the national pavilion under the theme “Agriculture–Tourism–Prosperity.”

Uganda’s stand quickly became one of the busiest in the agricultural hall, drawing interest from commercial buyers, roasters, retailers, and global logistics companies. Officials from MAAIF also held strategic engagements with Chinese traders and took part in discussions on digital innovation in the coffee value chain and import policies for developing economies.

A key highlight from the Expo was the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with Cotti Coffee, currently the world’s fastest-growing coffee retail chain with more than 7,500 shops across 28 countries. This partnership marks a transformative step for Uganda as it opens a direct link between Ugandan coffee farmers and one of Asia’s most dynamic consumer markets.

The MoU, signed between MAAIF and Cotti Supply Chain (Anhui) Ltd, focuses on promoting Uganda’s coffee brand throughout China and internationally. It includes provisions for joint marketing campaigns, farmer training initiatives, technology transfer, and investment in value addition  particularly in post-harvest handling and agro-processing to enhance quality.

In a statement, MAAIF emphasised that the partnership aims to “redefine how the world experiences Ugandan coffee,” ensuring farmers benefit from better market access and global visibility. Cotti Coffee executives praised Uganda as a reliable partner renowned for quality beans, ethical sourcing, and ideal growing conditions.

Uganda’s coffee exports to China have already surged by 190% in 2025, with beverages made from Ugandan beans trending across Chinese cafés and social media platforms. As China’s coffee market is expected to exceed US$45bn by 2030, this collaboration offers Uganda a powerful gateway into one of the world’s fastest-growing coffee economies.

Uganda was represented at CIIE by 28 exporters from the coffee and wider agricultural sectors. The government continues to invest heavily in coffee production through seedling distribution, farmer training programmes, irrigation expansion, research, and global branding.

Under the new partnership, Uganda’s identity will feature prominently in Cotti Coffee advertising across major Asian cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Singapore. This visibility is expected to drive export earnings, create new employment opportunities, and strengthen ties between Uganda’s rural farming communities and millions of coffee lovers across Asia.

The project aims to digitally map shea trees across parklands, linking tree tenure data to women who harvest them.

Farmerline, in partnership with the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) and New Markets Lab (NML), has launched the Shea Tree Mapping Project to enhance land and tree rights for women in West Africa.

This initiative, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) through the Land Facility programme, will run from September 2025 to March 2026, covering Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

The project aims to digitally map shea trees across parklands, linking tree tenure data to women who harvest them. It will also conduct a legal and regulatory gap analysis, proposing frameworks that better recognise women’s land and tree rights. In addition, national workshops and a regional roundtable with ECOWAS will be held to align strategies for widespread implementation.

One of the project’s key outcomes will be the creation of an open-access Shea Tree Tenure Dashboard. This tool will provide policymakers, supply chain actors, and advocates with data-driven insights to strengthen decision-making and foster sustainable trade.

With shea supporting the livelihoods of 16 million women in 21 West African countries, securing their land and tree rights is vital for both economic resilience and climate adaptation. Aaron Adu, Managing Director of GSA, highlights that securing women's tenure rights is essential for the longevity of the shea industry, ensuring that women can continue to thrive in this critical sector.

Jeremy Swainson, Project Director at Tetra Tech, adds that this initiative will also contribute to climate-smart trade, creating a pathway for greater climate resilience in West Africa.

FAO seeks to ensure that farming remains part of the global solution to both climate change and food insecurity. (Image credit: FAO)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has raised concerns that the global shortfall in climate finance is undermining efforts to transform agrifood systems, a sector with the potential to cut global emissions by up to one-third.

Speaking at the Belém Climate Summit ahead of COP30, the FAO emphasised that the gap in funding represents “a lost opportunity” to drive sustainable change.

Convened by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazilian President the Summit gathered global leaders, ministers, and international agencies to explore climate solutions that prioritise fair energy transitions, biodiversity protection, and forest conservation. The discussions set the stage for the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), scheduled for 10–21 November 2025 in Belém.

At COP30, FAO will underscore the importance of science-based agrifood solutions in reducing emissions, enhancing carbon capture, restoring ecosystems, and strengthening resilience, while safeguarding food security for the 1.2bn people who depend on these systems.

“From restoration of degraded agricultural lands to resilient crops and sustainable aquaculture and livestock, we have the solutions that deliver across sectors,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in a speech delivered at the General Plenary Leaders Dialogue.

Examples from Brazil’s Amazon region highlight this potential: agroforestry projects are reviving degraded lands, supporting rural livelihoods, and providing “a triple win for biodiversity and food diversity, for food security, and for the climate.”

However, FAO warned that progress is constrained by limited investment. Despite contributions from the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility, forestry, livestock, fisheries, and crop production received only 4 percent of climate-related development finance in 2023.

“For a sector that can deliver a third of global emission reductions, this gap is not only unequal – it is a lost opportunity. By overlooking agrifood systems, we are leaving one of the most effective pathways to low-emission growth untapped,” Qu said.

The FAO also launched a Call to Action on Integrated Fire Management and Wildfire Resilience, endorsed by 50 countries and major organisations, including ITTO and UNEP. The initiative promotes proactive fire prevention strategies through scientific and traditional knowledge and modern technologies.

FAO views COP30 as a pivotal moment to reinforce food security and climate resilience through investment, innovation, and policy. It continues to collaborate with countries and partners under initiatives such as the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnership and the RAIZ Accelerator, both aimed at restoring degraded agricultural land and scaling sustainable food systems.

By keeping agriculture at the centre of climate action, FAO seeks to ensure that farming remains part of the global solution to both climate change and food insecurity.