The Confederation of Egyptian European Business Associations (CEEBA), in partnership with the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, hosted two full days of on-site advanced training for beekeepers in Alexandria as part of the PLANBEE project.
The training was delivered with the support of the project’s contractor, Heirloom, represented by Dr. Yasser Ibrahim, Associate Professor at Cairo University. The advanced curriculum in sustainable beekeeping covered four core themes: reducing or eliminating chemical use in beekeeping practices, ethical and sustainable honey harvesting, disease and pest management, and adapting to local environmental conditions through bee genetics.
The two on-site days combined technical presentations, group discussions, and hands-on practical exercises, including advanced techniques for early disease detection, chemical-free Varroa mite control, and integration of biodiversity reporting into beekeeping operations. The programme concluded with an online session focused on selecting locally adapted bee breeds, the fundamentals of queen rearing, and preserving genetic diversity within local bee populations.
PLANBEE — “Strengthening Local Beekeeping Networks and Excellence in Beekeeping Entrepreneurship” — is a Euro-Mediterranean cooperation initiative co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg NEXT MED programme, bringing together partners from Cyprus, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. The Alexandria session was the first of five planned training programmes under the project.
Participants who complete the training will be encouraged to apply for the project’s competitive Tailored Services Voucher Scheme, expected to be launched later in 2026, offering personalized business support services worth up to €5,000.
This training forms part of PLANBEE’s wider effort to strengthen local beekeeping networks and promote entrepreneurship in the sector across Egypt, alongside four further training programmes and the project’s voucher scheme for tailored technical support.
Check out the project’s website for more information: https://www.interregnextmed.eu/project-page/planbee/about/