Beekeeping Facility Created for Low-Income Youth

The project "Promoting Eco-Entrepreneurship Among Azerbaijani Youth," initiated by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Founder and Head of IDEA Public Union, continues to progress successfully.

As part of the project, 21 young volunteers who participated in theoretical and practical training on the establishment and proper development of beekeeping facilities successfully completed a two-week course and are now fully equipped with all the necessary resources and materials for beekeeping. The young beekeepers have been provided with the necessary conditions to effectively carry out the production process.

The project, organized jointly by IDEA Public Union, the Youth Foundation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the State Employment Agency, and the "ABAD" Public Legal Entity, aims to increase the population of bees, which are crucial for biodiversity, promote the spread of beekeeping as a form of eco-entrepreneurship in various regions of Azerbaijan, support the production of natural honey, improve the financial well-being of low-income families, and ensure youth employment.

Over the next two years, the young eco-entrepreneurs will have their beekeeping facilities regularly monitored by specialists, who will provide necessary advice to help them increase the number of hives through natural growth. Once they reach a competitive level in honey production, they will be able to showcase their products at "ABAD" stands, gaining access to a broader customer base and receiving assistance in organizing effective sales.

It is known that bees and other pollinators play a vital role in biodiversity conservation and that beekeeping is considered one of the most environmentally safe and beneficial forms of agriculture. Honeybees actively participate in the pollination of plants, thereby increasing their productivity and sustainability. In light of this, IDEA Public Union, in collaboration with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, has conducted several large-scale tree-planting campaigns in Azerbaijan to support beekeeping by planting nectar-producing trees.

We all need to participate in the conservation of bees, which play a crucial role in our ecosystem! The small steps we take can lead to significant changes for these industrious creatures, such as:

• Supporting the production of eco-friendly products, which is a key condition for food security.
• Avoiding panic and attempts to kill bees when encountered; instead, we should calmly and carefully remove them without causing harm.
• Supporting bees by planting their favorite plants in our gardens and balconies, such as lavender, acacia, autumn crocus, thyme, clover, poplar, mint, sunflower, broom, etc.
• Saving a bee that has fallen into water by carefully removing it and placing it on a dry surface; it will recover and fly away after some time.
• Addressing habitat loss, which is one of the major threats to bees, by increasing and protecting green areas to save all living creatures, including bees.
• Contributing to awareness-raising activities about the importance of bees for our planet.

Nature needs bees, and we need nature. Let’s increase our care for bees and ensure their survival together. If there are bees, there is life!