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TÜRKIYE 2025 / TURNING HIVES INTO JOBS

In Türkiye’s rural Düzce region, one third of youth are unemployed, sparking a wave of migration to cities and leaving villages with aging populations. To reverse this trend, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Türkiye’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry are training young beekeepers, empowering women, and boosting local honey production to breathe new life into these communities.

Language Turkish

Country Türkiye

Duration 4m20s

Edit Version International

Video Type Video News Release (VNR)

Date 10/03/2025

File size 571.92 MB

Unique ID UF21GJ5

Production details and shotlist

Shotlist STORY: TÜRKIYE / TURNING HIVES INTO JOBS
TRT: 04:20
SOURCE: FAO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT FAO ON SCREEN /// AVAILABLE AFTER EMBARGO 06:00 GMT, 08:00 CET, 02:00 AM EST, MONDAY 6 OCTOBER 2025
LANGUAGE: TURKISH / NATS

DATELINE: 11-13 AUGUST 2025, DÜZCE PROVINCE, TÜRKIYE

Shotlist

13 AUGUST, DÜZCE PROVINCE, TÜRKIYE

1. Wide, aerial shot, Züleyha Ceylan 22-year-old driving a blue three-wheeler
2. Med shot, Züleyha lighting a smoker used to calm the bees
3. Close up, Züleyha closing the smoker
4. Med shot, Züleyha closing her yellow beekeeping suit
5. Close up, Züleyha smoking a hive
6. Wide shot, Züleyha lifting a frame of a hive
7. Med shot, Züleyha checking frames for honey level
8. Close up, bees over a frame
9. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Züleyha Ceylan, 22, beekeeper:
“Since childhood, I’ve had a deep fascination with nature and animals. Over time, I chose to continue nurturing this passion. Along the way, I discovered that the sound of bees is therapeutic to me.”
10. Aerial shot, Düzce province’s forest with Black Sea in the background
11. Top view, bee hives in Düzce
12. Wide shot, Züleyha working in her apiary
13. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Züleyha Ceylan, 22, beekeeper:
“The best part about this job is working outdoors. There are no fixed hours, no set start or end time. What I love most is being close to the earth, it brings a sense of peace and takes me away from stressful environments. [The apiary] is a space where I feel more comfortable. And while I enjoy all of that, I am also achieving financial independence working as a beekeeper.”

12 AUGUST, DÜZCE PROVINCE, TÜRKIYE

14. Med shot, Züleyha (centre) closing a pink beekeeping suit with a FAO trainer (right)
15. Wide shot, beekeeper opening a hive during the FAO training
16. Close up, frame of a hive being extracted

11 AUGUST, DÜZCE PROVINCE, TÜRKIYE

17. Wide shot, training
18. Med shot, Züleyha attending the training
19. Med shot, FAO trainer (left) and Esra Uzun, Director of Agriculture and Forestry

12 AUGUST, DÜZCE PROVINCE, TÜRKIYE

20. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Esra Uzun, Director of Agriculture and Forestry, Düzce Province:
“We provide beekeepers with training to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills for rural development, improve their marketing abilities, and understand the importance of branding, particularly agricultural branding. We also prepare them to access domestic and international markets.”
21. Med shot, FAO trainer speaking
22. Close up, Züleyha attending the training
23. Wide shot, Züleyha and other beekeepers attending the training

13 AUGUST, DÜZCE PROVINCE, TÜRKIYE

24. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Züleyha Ceylan, 22, beekeeper:
“One of the most valuable pieces of advice FAO gave me was about how to sell my products. I felt unsure in that area. They taught me where and how to promote my work, what kind of social media posts to make. I received very comprehensive support. I also learned how to properly maintain bee colonies.”
25. Wide shot, Züleyha in her room posting pictures of her work online
26. Close up, Züleyha posting pictures
27. Med shot, Züleyha preparing her honey for shipping
28. Close up, Züleyha closing a box

11 AUGUST, DÜZCE PROVINCE, TÜRKIYE

29. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Ayşegül Selışık, FAO Türkiye Assistant Representative:
“Rural areas need professions that allow young people to contribute to agriculture. And for this purpose, beekeeping is an ideal profession. It is enjoyable, rewarding, and Düzce is one of the country’s key provinces for it.”

13 AUGUST, DÜZCE PROVINCE, TÜRKIYE

30. Pan left, Züleyha in her apiary opening a hive
31. Med shot, Züleyha inspecting a hive frame
32. Med shot, Züleyha boxing her honey
33. Close up, honey being poured over a slice of bread
34. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Züleyha Ceylan, 22, beekeeper:
“I want to expand my farm. One day, I hope to have a family that earns its living through beekeeping. To achieve that, I plan to offer excellent products to people.”

12 AUGUST, DÜZCE PROVINCE, TÜRKIYE

35. Tilt up, bee hives
36. Close up, bees on a hive frame
37. Close up, bee on a flower

Script Each morning, 22-year-old Züleyha Ceylan drives her small blue truck down the winding village roads, past fields of hazelnut trees, to a cluster of colourful beehives in the province of Düzce, some 200 kilometres northwest of Ankara, Türkiye.

She slips into her canary-yellow beekeeping suit, pulls on pink gloves and strikes a match. A curl of smoke drifts from her tin smoker, calming the bees before she lifts the lid of the first hive. Inside, the colony hums with life. She studies the frames for honey levels, checks for the queen’s presence and scans for any sign of disease, tasks that require patience, skill and careful observation. Some inspections take just a few minutes; others stretch into half an hour or more, every hive has a life of its own.

Züleyha Ceylan said, “Since childhood, I’ve had a deep fascination with nature and animals. Over time, I chose to continue nurturing this passion. Along the way, I discovered that the sound of bees is therapeutic to me.”

While no one in her family had ever been involved in beekeeping, Züleyha decided to follow her passion for bees with their support. She started her own activity last year and so far produced about 100 kilos of honey.

Though the province of Düzce is rich in farmland and forests, more than 32 percent of youth between the age of 15 and 24 are unemployed. Many opt to move to the city in search of work, leaving behind old farms and empty villages.

Beekeeping offers an alternative path: it requires little land and relatively modest investment while offering flexible hours. Furthermore, demand for honey and related products remains strong. In Düzce, the prized local Yığılca bee, known for its resilience and ability to produce high-quality honey, makes the sector’s outlook even brighter.

For Züleyha, who chose to stay in her village, bees have meant both livelihood and independence.

Züleyha shared, “The best part about this job is working outdoors. There are no fixed hours, no set start or end time. What I love most is being close to the earth, it brings a sense of peace and takes me away from stressful environments. [The apiary] is a space where I feel more comfortable. And while I enjoy all of that, I am also achieving financial independence working as a beekeeper.”

Behind Züleyha’s success is a mix of passion and targeted support. In August 2025, Züleyha joined nine other enthusiastic beekeepers and project participants in a training programme organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry.

Esra Uzun, Director of Agriculture and Forestry of Düzce Province said, “We provide beekeepers with training to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills for rural development, improve their marketing abilities, and understand the importance of branding, particularly agricultural branding. We also prepare them to access domestic and international markets.”

Many young people and women face barriers to entering the sector. By providing training, technical support and entrepreneurial skills, this project is helping them turn beekeeping into sustainable livelihoods.

Züleyha Ceylan said, “One of the most valuable pieces of advice FAO gave me was about how to sell my products. I felt unsure in that area. They taught me where and how to promote my work, what kind of social media posts to make. I received very comprehensive support. I also learned how to properly maintain bee colonies.”

Düzce itself is a beekeeping haven. Nearly 60 percent of the province is covered in forest, from fragrant linden to chestnut groves. It is home to around 60 000 hives and some 800 beekeepers. The region even boasts a geographical indication for its rich, dark chestnut honey and hosts a university programme dedicated to apiculture.

However, the climate crisis is reshaping rainfall patterns and seasonal cycles, affecting bee health and honey yields. Meanwhile, a decreasing rural population threatens the sustainability of farming.

Ayşegül Selışık, FAO Türkiye Assistant Representative, said, “Rural areas need professions that allow young people to contribute to agriculture. And for this purpose, beekeeping is an ideal profession. It is enjoyable, rewarding, and Düzce is one of the country’s key provinces for it.”

Standing among her hives, Züleyha is optimistic about opportunities in beekeeping.

Züleyha said, “I want to expand my farm. One day, I hope to have a family that earns its living through beekeeping. To achieve that, I plan to offer excellent products to people.”

Türkiye became a member of FAO in 1948 and established its first country office in 1982. FAO supports the government and partners in the development of policy and programmes primarily focused on strengthening the resilience of disadvantaged communities and supporting sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems.

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