Good beekeeping farm management practices, towards sustainable development (experiences from Iran)

Beekeeping is an essential industry facing several global challenges, affecting its overall status and socio-ecological benefits. Due to intense competition in the modern world, beekeepers are under significant pressure. These issues are particularly evident in countries like Iran. Identifying the factors that affect the management of the beekeeping industry and their mechanisms is the first step toward improving its management status, competitiveness, and socio-ecological services. Hence, this study aimed to analyze these factors and their impact mechanisms in Fereydunshar County in Iran. Data were collected in the spring of 2022 using a researcher-made questionnaire from a sample size of 140 beekeepers (n = 140) selected through a stratified sampling method among the beekeepers of the study area (N = 210). The Partial Least Squares (PLS) modeling method was used to analyze data. The findings demonstrated that managing pre-production conditions is the most important component of beekeeping management. Furthermore, the beekeeper’s access to inputs and resources, the beekeeper’s individual characteristics, economic factors, and technical-physical factors were the factors that affect the management status of beekeeping farms, respectively. Thus, taking these factors into account should be the foundation of any policy-making in the beekeeping sector to improve its overall status.