Beekeeping & Honey Enterprise Officer

Villages in Partnership (VIP) · Zomba, Malawi

Posted October 10, 2026Listing expires October 16, 2026

Position Summary

Villages in Partnership (VIP) is seeking a skilled and experienced Beekeeping & Honey Enterprise Officer to develop and strengthen a sustainable beekeeping program among the farmers and communities with whom VIP works in rural Zomba District, Malawi.

The successful candidate will bring hands-on experience with both top-bar and Langstroth hives, including practical experience in hive management, colony care, honey harvesting, and particularly extracting and processing honey from Langstroth hives.

This position is not simply about keeping bees. The Beekeeping & Honey Enterprise Officer will help VIP develop beekeeping as a practical livelihood opportunity for rural farmers, generating income while contributing to food security, environmental stewardship, pollination, and healthy ecosystems.

The officer will work directly with farmers in VIP villages, demonstrating best practices, establishing demonstration apiaries, training farmer groups, helping farmers select and manage appropriate hive systems, and developing the systems necessary to produce, harvest, extract, package, and market high-quality honey.

The position will also help farmers understand that successful beekeeping begins with a healthy environment. The officer will promote the identification, planting, and protection of trees, flowers, and other plants that provide nectar and pollen throughout the year.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop VIP’s Beekeeping Program

• Help VIP develop a practical, scalable beekeeping program for farmers in the communities where VIP works.
• Assess existing beekeeping practices and identify opportunities to improve productivity and income.
• Develop a phased approach for introducing and expanding beekeeping among interested farmers and farmer groups.
• Establish demonstration apiaries where farmers can observe successful beekeeping practices.
• Help VIP determine the appropriate balance and use of top-bar and Langstroth hives within the program.
• Develop practical training materials and protocols that farmers can understand and apply.
• Help establish standards for hive management, honey production, harvesting, processing, and marketing.
• Work closely with VIP’s agricultural and livelihood teams to integrate beekeeping into broader farming systems.

• Technical Beekeeping

• Provide hands-on technical guidance and training in:

• Top-bar hive management
• Langstroth hive management
• Colony establishment and management
• Queen and brood management
• Swarm management
• Pest and disease identification and control
• Apiary placement and management
• Seasonal hive management
• Feeding and colony support when appropriate
• Safe and hygienic honey harvesting
• Hive maintenance and repair

The officer will:

• Train farmers to recognize healthy colonies and understand bee behavior.
• Teach farmers to recognize when colonies and honey are ready for harvest.
• Demonstrate appropriate harvesting techniques that protect the colony and maintain honey quality.
• Help farmers avoid practices that unnecessarily damage colonies or reduce future production.

• Honey Extraction and Processing

A particularly important responsibility of this position will be developing VIP’s capacity to extract, process, and prepare honey from Langstroth hives.

The officer will:

• Demonstrate and train farmers in Langstroth honey harvesting.
• Operate and teach others to use appropriate honey extraction equipment.
• Establish hygienic methods for:

• Uncapping
• Honey extraction
• Filtering Settling
• Moisture management
• Storage
• Packaging

• Develop practical procedures for maintaining honey quality from hive to finished product.
• Help determine appropriate equipment and infrastructure for village-level and/or centralized honey processing.
• Train farmers and staff in sanitation, food safety, quality control, and proper storage.
• Explore opportunities to process and utilize beeswax and other hive products.
• Help VIP develop appropriate systems for collecting honey from multiple farmer groups for centralized processing and marketing.

• Farmer Training and Mentorship

The officer will work directly with farmers in VIP villages through demonstrations, field visits, farmer meetings, and practical training.

Responsibilities include

• Identify farmers who have the interest and capacity to become beekeeping leaders or trainers within their communities.
• Develop farmer-to-farmer learning and mentorship.
• Provide ongoing technical support rather than one-time training.
• Train farmers in both the technical and business aspects of beekeeping.
• Encourage participation of women and young people in beekeeping enterprises.
• Maintain strong relationships with farmer groups and community leaders.
• Adapt training to the realities of smallholder farmers and the resources available in rural Malawi.
• Demonstrate practical solutions that farmers can realistically maintain and replicate.

• Beekeeping as a Livelihood Enterprise

The officer will help farmers see beekeeping not simply as an agricultural activity, but as a potential source of sustainable household income.

Responsibilities include