Jordan’s honeybees: Unlikely heroes of food security stung by climate change

Jordan’s honeybees: Unlikely heroes of food security stung by climate change

JERASH — Around 48km north of Amman in Jerash Governorate, Muna Manfalouti, a beekeeper for nearly four decades, lives a life emblematic of both the undying spirit for Jordanian women and the stark toll of climate change on a treasured trade.

Manfalouti married young, her studies ceasing in the 12th grade. She never had the opportunity to grace the halls of a university — a detail that once filled her with resentment. Life in her husband's house in the remote region of Al Katteh was far from the urban hustle, without a trace of public transport or the conveniences of city life. Yet, this isolation ignited an ambition in Muna to use her time productively.

“I wanted to do something that would make me feel better, and also I wanted to help my husband. I did not want to be a housewife only,” she told The Jordan Times.

While visiting a friend in the governorate in 1988, Muna and her husband stumbled upon the art of beekeeping, which immediately kindled a lifelong interest in the pair.

Starting with three hives, Manfalouti, a self-taught enthusiast, began a deep dive into the world of bees. As she eagerly consumed books on the subject and implemented her