Empresas na fileira (2024)
196Diversify Algarve · value chain 02
Beekeeping.
Entrepreneur profile, economic diagnosis and business dynamics.
Key indicators
Volume de negócios (2022)
3,7 M€VAB (2022) · +10% vs. 2019
1,4 M€Pessoas ao serviço (2022)
200Produtividade (VAB/trabalhador)
6 850 €Empresas em Loulé (maior polo)
45Expect to grow over the next 3 years
36%Exportações (2023)
0,2 M€Methodology. Economic indicators come from Statistics Portugal for 2019–2024. Entrepreneurship, outlook and innovation results are based on 11 valid responses to the Algarve Empreende 2026 survey, equivalent to a 6% overall response rate; they should be interpreted as exploratory indicators, not as estimates for the entire value chain.
Context
The Algarve Beekeeping value chain is defined by CAE 01491 — Beekeeping, covering primary production of honey and other bee products such as wax, propolis, royal jelly and pollen, together with extraction, conditioning, marketing and pollination services. It is a primary agricultural activity based on micro-farms and with a strong prevalence of sole proprietors (97% of businesses), limited vertical integration and limited value retention at origin. The value chain is strongly linked to Mediterranean biodiversity and the bee flora of the mountains, barrocal and coast, with high environmental value through pollination and ecosystem preservation. As there is no standalone processing CAE, value addition occurs downstream of primary production and is constrained by the small scale of farms, weak collective organisation and limited product commercialisation.
Economic profile
Economic profile of the value chain.
Statistics Portugal economic indicators for 2019–2024; 2022 for economic indicators, 2023 for exports and 2024 for businesses.
Economic indicators
Businesses
196 businesses −8% since 2019 · 13.3% national shareTurnover
3.7 €M +16% · 2022 · 14.3% national shareOutput
3.8 €M +23% · 2022 · 16.2% national shareGVA
1.4 €M +10% · 2022 · 16.4% national sharePeople employed
200 people −10% · 2022 · 12.7% national shareNet income
1.2 €M +6% · 2022 · 25.4% national shareInvestment / GFCF
5 thousand € −97% · 2022 · 0.3% national shareExports
0.2 €M −88% · 2023 · operators based in the AlgarveSource: Statistics Portugal — business demography and economic indicators by CAE. Productivity = GVA per employee. “Share” = Algarve weight in the national total.
Productivity
€ / employee- GVA per employee6,850 € / employee
GVA per employee. Source: Statistics Portugal.
Empresas por concelho
businesses- Loulé45 businesses
- Silves37 businesses
- Tavira32 businesses
- Portimão16 businesses
- Faro14 businesses
- Monchique12 businesses
- Alcoutim8 businesses
- Albufeira7 businesses
- Lagos5 businesses
- Olhão5 businesses
Distribution of value-chain businesses across Algarve municipalities in 2024. Source: Statistics Portugal.
Business dynamics
Business births, deaths and survival.
Birth, death and two-year survival rates in beekeeping production.
Business dynamics
%Birth rate
8.2 % +1.0 ppDeath rate
14.5 % +4.4 ppTwo-year survival
50 % −5.0 ppStatistics Portugal, 2019–2023. Source: Statistics Portugal.
Entrepreneur profile
Who develops activity in the value chain.
Sample of 11 valid responses to the Algarve Empreende 2026 survey; not statistically representative.
Profile indicators
%Algarve entrepreneurs
91 %Higher education or above
36 %60 years or over
0 %Family tradition
82 %Overall response rate: 6%. Source: Algarve Empreende 2026 survey.
Education level
%- Secondary / vocational45 %
- Higher education27 %
- Basic education18 %
- Postgraduate / master’s / doctorate9 %
Distribution of respondent entrepreneurs. Source: survey.
Age
%- 30–39 years9 %
- 40–49 years45 %
- 50–59 years45 %
- 60 years or over0 %
Distribution of respondent entrepreneurs. Source: survey.
Reasons for starting the business
%- Family continuity56 %
- Personal interest / vocation19 %
- Public support13 %
- Market opportunity6 %
- Lack of employment6 %
Multiple responses. Source: survey.
Start-up challenges
%- Bureaucracy / licensing23 %
- Market access23 %
- Production costs23 %
- Funding8 %
- Technical information8 %
- Certifications4 %
Multiple responses. Source: survey.
Fontes de financiamento no arranque
%- Fundos próprios50 %
- Apoios públicos / fundos UE33 %
- Fundos familiares11 %
- Crédito bancário6 %
Multiple responses. Source: survey.
Growth and expectations
Value-chain outlook.
Algarve Empreende 2026 survey results on growth, expansion and business succession.
Growth and expectations
%Expect to grow over the next 3 years
36 %Business expanding
18 %With a succession plan
18 %Encerram mais do que criam
36 %Source: Algarve Empreende 2026 survey (n = 11).
Innovation, R&I and trends
Innovation and collaboration with the research system.
Innovation practices, interest in applied R&D and trends identified by respondent entrepreneurs.
Innovation, R&I and collaboration
%Introduced innovation in the last 5 years
55 %Interesse elevado em I&D aplicada
27 %Associations / cooperatives: R&I partner
50 %Source: Algarve Empreende 2026 survey.
Identified trends
%- Promotion of local products31 %
- Certification / quality22 %
- New markets / exports16 %
- Tourism linked to the value chain16 %
- Environmental sustainability9 %
- Circular economy3 %
Multiple responses. Source: survey.
Sources and resources