Innovation in the global beekeeping chain: challenges and paths to a sustainable future

Beekeeping is much more than just honey production — it is an essential pillar for pollination, biodiversity preservation, and global food security. However, the sector faces increasingly complex challenges that require innovative and sustainable solutions.

Recently, the Inovabee/BiomeCarb team, under the guidance of professors Dr. Eduardo Alcayaga Lobo and Dr. Nilmar Azevedo de Melo, conducted a pioneering bibliometric review of innovations in the global beekeeping production. The study, led by Schüler et al. (2025) and published in the scientific journal Cuadernos de Educación y Desarrollo, analyzed 78 publications from the Scopus database between 2000 and 2024, using the keywords “innovation” and “beekeeping.”

Figure 1 – Main terms found in the bibliometric research (2000–2024) in the Scopus database – Overview of the map, highlighting the organization of studies into two main thematic groups

Main research findings

The analysis identified two major thematic groups of study and revealed that most research is concentrated in developed countries. Among the most urgent challenges challenges for advancing and ensuring the sustainability of global beekeeping are:

• High bee mortality caused by pesticides.

• Impacts of climate change on pollinators and production.

• Lack of traceability in the production chain.

• Loss of biodiversity.

• Lack of marketing strategies and difficulty in adding value to products.

These barriers limit the competitiveness and growth of the sector, especially in countries with less investment in research and innovation.

Why is innovation in beekeeping urgent?

The bibliometric review makes it clear that investing in integrated solutions is essential to ensure the future of beekeeping. This includes:

• Encourage research and new technologies.

• Improve traceability and transparency throughout the production chain.

• Preserve biodiversity.

• Strengthen marketing strategies and value-added initiatives.

These actions not only benefit the sector but also ensure more resilient production systems, protect environmental balance, and ensure food security for future generations.

At Inovabee, we believe that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand. Our commitment is to continue developing solutions that strengthen the entire beekeeping chain — connecting producers, consumers, and the environment in a harmonious and strategic way.

📖 Source: SCHÜLER, S., MELO, N. A. D., EISENBERGER, J. L., THOMÉ, J., & LOBO, E. A. (2025). Inovações na cadeia global da apicultura: uma revisão bibliométrica. Cuadernos de Educación y Desarrollo, 17(5): e8303–e8303. Access here. Access here.