X Sweetening the potential for decent work A market systems analysis of the honey sector in the Republic of Moldova Copyright © International Labour Organization 2021 First published (2021) Publications of the International Labour Office enjoy copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. Nevertheless, short excerpts from them may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to ILO Publications (Rights and Licensing), International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or by email: [email protected]. The International Labour Office welcomes such applications. Libraries, institutions and other users registered with a reproduction rights organization may make copies in accordance with the licenses issued to them for this purpose. Visit www.ifrro.org to find the reproduction rights organization in your country. ISBN: 9789220344927 (Web PDF) Also available in Romanian: “Îndulcirea” potențialului de muncă decentă: O analiză a sistemelor de piață a sectorului apicol din Republica Moldova, ISBN: 9789220344934 (Web PDF) The designations employed in ILO publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the International Labour Office concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the International Labour Office of the opinions expressed in them. Reference to names of firms and commercial products and processes does not imply their endorsement by the International Labour Office, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or process is not a sign of disapproval. Information on ILO publications and digital products can be found at: www.ilo.org/publns. All photos used in the report: © Ion Buga/ ILO, Back cover photo: unsplash.com Map of Moldova: © iStock This publication was developed within the framework of the project Market Systems Analysis for the honey and berry value chains in Moldova, funded with UK aid from the UK Government and delivered by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the UK’s Good Governance Fund. Sweetening the potential for decent work A market systems analysis of the honey sector in the Republic of Moldova Notes On confidentiality. All data collected through primary research have been made anonymous so that individuals cannot be identified. Instead, we refer in generic terms to ‘interviewee(s)”, “informants” or “respondents”. On study limitations. The study is largely developed based on the perceptions and opinions of key sector stakeholders. Although information was triangulated by different sources where possible, it is recognised that not all opinions and perceptions could be cross-checked and validated. On the views and opinions. The views and opinions in this assessment are those of the authors and not of the International Labour Organization or its regional office in Budapest. Sweetening the potential for decent work ii Acknowledgements Acknowledgements This report was prepared by Aatif Somji and Anatolie Palade. The work was coordinated and reviewed by Judith Dongus, Technical Officer (JPO), Enterprise development and job creation, ILO Office for Central and Eastern Europe, with support and technical backstopping from the LAB project in the Geneva offices. The research team thanks the ILO Moldova office for all support provided. Though it would be a challenge to list all of the people and organisations involved individually, the team would like to acknowledge the generous amount of time and insights provided by each and every person that agreed to be interviewed and/or participated in the validation workshop. A market systems analysis of the honey sector in the Republic of Moldova Contents iii Contents Acknowledgements ii Abbreviations iv Executive Summary v Introduction 1 Project introduction 1 Study purpose and scope 2 Study methods 2 Report structure 3 Sector structure 5 Market overview 5 History and trends 7 Role of the target group 10 The market system 13 Core market 14 Supporting functions 17 Rules and regulations 21 Constraints summary 24 Opportunities 27 Key market actors 27 Potential areas for intervention 30 Validation and prioritisation of interventions 38 Conclusion 39 Annex A: Bibliography 40 Annex B: Research interview list 42 Sweetening the potential for decent work iv Abbreviations Abbreviations ANARM National Beekeepers Association ANSA National Agency for Food Safety CRDV National Centre for Veterinary Diagnostic DCFTA Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EIB European Investment Bank EU European Union EUR Euro (€) FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FCDO UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office GGF Good Governance Fund GDP Gross Domestic Product HEA Honey Exporters Association IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development ILO International Labour Organization LFP Labour Force Participation LFS Labour Force Survey LLC Limited Liability Company LPA Local Public Administration M4P Making Markets Work for the Poor MADRM Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment MDL Moldovan Lei MEI Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure MSA Market Systems Analysis MSD Market Systems Development MT Metric Tonne NBS National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova ODIMM Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises Sector Development SME Small and Medium Enterprise SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation UNDP United Nations Development Programme US$ United States Dollar VET Vocational Education and Training A market systems analysis of the honey sector in the Republic of Moldova Executive Summary v Executive Summary With funding from the British Embassy Chisinau via the UK’s Good Governance Fund, the International Labour Organization (ILO) was tasked to conduct a market systems analysis of the honey sector in the Republic of Moldova. The aim of this study was to better understand the market constraints that limit job creation, higher incomes and greater productivity within the sector – particularly in relation to women and people with disabilities – and to identify a practical set of evidence-informed actions that address and remove those constraints. The Republic of Moldova has a long history of honey production. Despite its relatively small size, the sector is growing: total annual production of honey has doubled over the last 20 years, while exports increased in value by a factor of ten in the eight years from 2011 to 2019. Of strategic importance for the country in this regard is access to European markets, with honey being one of the only animal- based products currently allowed to be exported to the European Union. In terms of the target group, only 8 per cent of the total number of registered apiaries are owned by women. While many more women are involved in the honey sector in other ways, this relatively low level of ownership is a key limiting factor to improving income and job quality for women. Similarly, despite the lack of readily available data on persons with disabilities in the honey sector, the research suggests that considerable efforts should be made to foster greater inclusion through proactive measures to integrate them into employment. Based on the analysis of the honey market system, the key market constraints include: 1) low productivity of the sector; 2) high mortality of bee families; 3) limited access to technology and infrastructure; 4) underdeveloped education and research; 5) low access to finance; and 6) limited value addition. A potential intervention strategy was developed to address these six key market constraints, with a total of eight recommendations divided across three broad intervention areas: The first intervention area focuses on upscaling production and productivity within the honey sector. This entails facilitating greater access to beekeeping equipment and technological improvements; encouraging collaboration around research and development; widening access to current public subsidy schemes; and easing the entry and integration of newcomers into the sector through working with training and education institutions. The second intervention area looks at improving bee health and access to the honey base within the country. This consists of developing win-win propositions on pollination services between beekeepers and farmers, as well as improving collaboration with the Government to facilitate greater access to the forest honey base. The third intervention area seeks to improve access to local and international markets for those working in the honey sector. Recommended activities in this regard include stimulating the development of new markets for value-added honey products and services; and promoting greater inclusion for women and persons with disabilities in beekeeping through a cooperative approach. It is hoped that the findings from this report will be used by current and potential future programmes working to develop the honey sector in the Republic of Moldova in a way that promotes sustainability, scalability, local ownership and a private-sector driven focus. Sweetening the potential