Consultancy Service: Policy and regulatory determinants of honey market performance: Domestic and export dimensions

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1. Introduction1.1 International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology:The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) was established in Kenya in 1970. ICIPE is the only independent international institute working primarily on arthropods. It employs a diverse range of scientific disciplines to perform original research on pests and beneficial insects and arthropods with the goal of improving human and livestock health, crop production, ecological systems, and the well-being of communities. ICIPE has carved out a leading role in what may be termed tropical insect science, as reflected in the range, depth and impact of its strong publication record. The focus of it’s work is sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly the large population of smallholder farmers. At the core of its mission is the development of affordable and effective tools and strategies to combat insect pests and vector-borne diseases to help alleviate poverty, ensure food security and improve the overall health status of peoples of the tropic. Its mandate is to develop alternative and environmentally friendly pest and vector management strategies that are effective, selective, non-polluting, non-resistance inducing and affordable for uptake by resource-limited rural and urban communities. 1.2. ICIPE’s Role in the MaYEA (Mass Youth Employment in Apiculture) Program. The MaYEA program, implemented in partnership with ORDA Ethiopia, IIRR and the Mastercard Foundation, aims to create mass youth employment in Ethiopia’s apiculture sector. ICIPE’s responsibilities within the program include enhancing honey quality to meet market standards and creating an enabling environment for youth engagement in the apiculture sector. 1.3 Background and rationalHoney production and trade contribute to domestic food markets, rural livelihoods, and export diversification. Policies and regulations governing the sector span agriculture, food safety and quality, standards, trade, and customs, aiming to promote market development, ensure product integrity, and facilitate access to domestic and international markets.Despite these policy frameworks, honey export performance has experienced volatility and periodic decline, while domestic markets continue to absorb the majority of production. Policy discussions have highlighted concerns related to quality assurance, standards compliance, adulteration, and informal or unrecorded trade flows. However, these issues are often examined in isolation, with limited analysis of how policy design and implementation interact with market incentives and institutional capacity across domestic and export channels.Honey production is characterized by diverse systems, ranging from traditional to more technology-intensive practices. From a policy perspective, it is necessary to examine whether regulatory requirements and enforcement expectations are aligned with prevailing production r...