Winners of World Bee Day 2025 photo contest announced
20/05/2025
Rome – Four photographs from around the world have been selected as the winning entries of the 2025 World Bee Day Photo Contest, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Held under the theme “Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all”, the contest invited participants to capture the vital role of pollinators in sustaining ecosystems, food production, and biodiversity.
A total of 550 submissions from 103 countries were received, offering powerful visual stories of bees and other pollinators in action, their habitats, and the communities protecting them.
Three winning images were selected by an internal FAO panel of experts, representing the top entries in the following categories:
- General Public
- Empowering Rural Women
- Indigenous Peoples’ Food and Knowledge Systems
In addition, one photograph was awarded the Public Choice Award, based on the outcome of an online vote.
The four winning images were unveiled during the World Bee Day celebration in Jimma, Ethiopia, held as part of the 2nd International Forum on Sustainable Beekeeping and Pollination, and will be displayed in a dedicated exhibition at the event. A smaller exposition will also be organized at FAO headquarters in Rome, allowing visitors to appreciate the powerful messages captured through the lens of this global contest.
Congratulations to the winners – and thank you to everyone who participated and helped raise awareness on the importance of pollinators
Subhash Purohit - The Carpenter Bee With Pollen Grains
General Public
India
A Carpenter Bee in flight, covered in yellow pollen after visiting a red pumpkin flower. As it moves to another flower, pollination occurs, supporting fruit production and underscoring the bee’s vital role in agriculture.
Photo credit: FAO/Subhash Purohit
Ana Elisa Sotelo - Rosa and the Stingless Bees
EMPOWErING RURAL WOMEN
Peru
Scientist Rosa Vasquez with stingless bees in San Francisco, Iquitos, Peru. Since 2021, she has promoted stingless beekeeping to show their safety and encourage more women to harvest bees at home.
Photo credit: FAO/Ana Elisa Sotelo
Gabriela Villanueva - Esse Ejjas alcuidado de las abejas
Indigenous Peoples’s Food and Knowledge Systems
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Indigenous Esse Ejja women enhance their capacities through melipona beekeeping, fostering a connection with nature, increasing their income through honey production, and contributing to the conservation of native bees.
Photo credit: FAO/Gabriela Villanueva
Eric Guerin - Rafter beekeeping: sustainable honey harvesting from the Asian giant honeybee, Apis dorsata
Public Choice Award
Cambodia
Traditional harvesting of Apis dorsata honey poses serious risks to harvesters and contributes to the decline of wild bee populations, as entire nests are often destroyed. In contrast, rafter beekeeping, developed by Southeast Asian communities, provides a safer, sustainable alternative. By suspending angled logs that mimic natural branches, this method encourages bees to build nests in a way that allows for selective honey collection while safeguarding the brood.
Photo credit: FAO/Eric Guerin