ABOUT

Behind the beehive:

the Plan Bee story 

Plan Bee Social Enterprise (PBSE) was developed by TAG International Development and funded by the United Nations Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT). 


Situated in Pindaya in Myanmar’s Shan State, PBSE started as a community-based enterprise, training over 300 beekeepers in 18 villages from 2013 to 2018. Most were vulnerable people from Shan and Kayah states. 


In 2019, the training period ended, and PBSE became independent with Ms. Thida Win as our CEO. We purchase honey from our trained beekeepers at fairtrade prices. 


Plan Bee’s project model has successfully trained and absorbed ethnic minority groups, such as Pa’O and Danu, into our technical delivery team. This has enabled our team to engage more inclusively with a larger

demographic of beekeepers.


In 2021, Plan Bee won the Innovate to Nourish Challenges (I2N) award from the World Food Program (WFP). 


Our business model was recognised and celebrated for its contribution to sustainable and inclusive local economic development and trade. Awards like this confirm that we are well positioned to continue to create positive and lasting change for the people of Myanmar and our environment.


Today, we work directly with 90 of our trained beekeepers. 


Work with Myanmar’s only social honey brand. Contact Plan Bee

Goals

  • Promote responsible and high-quality honey production in Myanmar
  • Create new income opportunities for rural households
  • Develop a sustainable, high-quality, fairtrade honey industry 
  • See Plan Bee as a market leader in domestic and international honey markets
  • Foster inclusivity, and care for the environment, women, youth, ethnic minorities, and health and wellbeing


Our Team

Meet the experts behind Plan Bee Social Enterprise


Meet the folks who make it all happen. We see big potential in every moment, and care deeply about what we do every day. Our unique development ensures that we have the very best staff at every level of operation. 


Our operations area has 70% women and 30% men. Management is mostly women while operation and marketing mix women and men.


Plan Bee’s project model has successfully trained and absorbed ethnic minority groups, such as Pa’O and Danu, into our technical delivery team. We have also partnered with local cultural groups across the diverse Shan State region. 


Our multi-ethnic staff enables the project to operate across a wider range of remote and previously inaccessible populations. It also encourages collaboration with different ethnic groups. 


Work with us. Contact Plan Bee today

Our CEO – Thida Win

Meet the leader behind Plan Bee, Ms Thida Win, whose primary wish is to support beekeepers to become commercial, efficient, and produce quality products. Thida Win is a young woman who believes in the Plan Bee enterprise, combining social and environmental good with sound entrepreneurialism. 


A young woman leader in beekeeping is very unusual. Most beekeeping ventures are led by men. 


Thida Win grew up in Shan State. After studying in Israel, she returned home to put her knowledge, experience, and intercultural skills to work. She continued to study, learning about bees, drawing on examples from other countries, and seeking ways to be innovative, inclusive and solution driven. 


In 2011-2012, Thida Win was selected and sent to the Arava International Center for Agriculture Training (AICAT) in Israel. Her Diploma in Advanced Agricultural, Agricultural Business and Management was a very intensive program, and she achieved the Award for Excellence. 


Her study also included a component on beekeeping. She learnt about pollination and greenhouses and visited a bee farm. She became familiar with monofloral varieties. At that time in Myanmar, most people only knew about multifloral honey. Her interest was piqued. 


After returning to Myanmar, Thida worked as a technology manager in an Indian company that farmed using Israeli technology. She was responsible for overall operations. It was a successful project that also empowered local farmers by sharing the knowledge of Israeli technology. 


From 2014-16, she returned to Israel as a Student Coordinator for AICAT. She was responsible for all Myanmar students studying in Israel, liaising between students and trainers, business owners, and entrepreneurs. 


Thida Win also led the Myanmar student group and created the trademark for the Inle Lake floating tomato farms, participating at the International Agriculture Exhibition. She achieved international recognition and the Certificate of Recognition and Appreciation from AICAT.


In the summer vacations, she studied food safety and security, food security policy and economics, nutrition and public health courses at Tel Aviv University, Israel. She then wanted to contribute to her country and community. 


Since 2019, Thida Win has been CEO of Plan Bee Social Enterprise, producing local, Burmese honey and high-quality products of international standards for domestic and export markets. 

Work with Myanmar’s first honey social enterprise. Contact Plan Bee
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