Changing environment affects Iraq's honey production - in pictures

Rising temperatures, decreasing rainfall and frequent dust storms have affected the industry

A beekeeper harvests honey from hives in the village of Abu Halan in Najaf, Iraq. All photos: Reuters

Beekeeper Ali Faleeh collects honey in Najaf, which is famous for its hives

Najaf's bees are in trouble because of climate change

Rising temperatures, a decrease in rain and frequent dust storms have affected the honey industry

Productivity and the quality of the honey produced in Iraq have both been reduced by the adverse conditions

A local beekeeper, Ali Mirdan Faleeh collects honey at a farm in Najaf, Iraq, April 27 2023.  REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani The rising temperature, decrease in precipitation and frequency of dust storms have affected the environment that bees need to produce honey, lowering the their productivity and the quality of the honey produced in Iraq.

The farmer pours extracted honey into a jar

A beekeeper sells honey at a market in Najaf. Reduced yields are affecting farmers' livelihoods

The problems experienced by beekeepers are felt throughout Iraq's farming industry, which has been hit by years of drought

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