The Swiss Beekeepers
Some journeys unfold over decades, shaped by chance encounters, deep passions, and the pull of a place that feels like home long before you live there. For James and Elisa Klein, Panama was such a place.
James first began traveling to Panama in 2010 for work, and by 2013, the couple had secured permanent residency. Still, it wasn’t until the spring of 2023 that they made the decision to retire and settle there for good. “Ever since my first visits,” James recalls, “I sensed a unique attraction to the country—relocating was always in the back of my mind.” When the time came to choose a place for retirement, Panama’s stable democracy, safe environment, excellent medical care, international airport access, dollarized economy, and retiree-friendly laws made it the clear choice.
For Elisa, the deciding factor was equally clear: Panama’s extraordinary natural environment. With vast protected reserves, rich biodiversity, and a government that—at least in part—recognizes the value of eco-friendly development, it offered the perfect backdrop for her life’s work: beekeeping. “The opportunity to work with bees in such an exceptional environment—where healthy, undisturbed ecosystems thrive—is truly special,” she says.
Elisa is not just any beekeeper—she holds Switzerland’s Brevet Fédéral d'apiculture, a three-year master’s equivalent in beekeeping and apiary management. Her training covers hive health, queen breeding, honey production, and large-scale apiary operations, along with the ability to train other beekeepers and conduct inspections. In Switzerland, she managed around 125 hives, producing honey, propolis, beeswax, and even running a small cosmetics shop specializing in honey-based products.
Moving to Panama meant adapting to a completely different bee—Africanized bees, known for their vigor and their ferocity. Unlike the gentle European bees Elisa once handled barehanded, Panama’s bees launch full-scale attacks on anyone approaching their hives, making protective gear and careful handling essential. “You’re working under attack from 40,000 agitated bees—it’s intense,” Elisa explains. Yet these bees also bring advantages: they’re prolific honey producers, resistant to disease, and far less susceptible to varroa mites than their European counterparts.
Still, beekeeping here is not without its frustrations. While the land and the bees offer immense potential, the administrative barriers to producing and selling honey can be daunting. “It sometimes feels like the government is doing more to discourage beekeeping than to support it,” James says. They both believe that streamlining licensing, inspections, and regulations would unleash a new era for Panama’s beekeepers—supporting food security, environmental stewardship, and rural livelihoods.
Through it all, the Kleins have embraced their new home completely. They no longer think of themselves as expats, but simply as Panamanians-in-the-making. They’re learning Spanish, immersing themselves in local culture, and have even applied for Panamanian citizenship.
“The more you give of yourself to Panama, the more it gives back”
Together, they run Jalisa Honey, producing pure, artisanal honey from Panama’s wild and biodiverse landscapes including at the Coquira Soil Project. It’s a marriage of Swiss expertise and tropical abundance, bottled for those who appreciate honey at its purest.
