As a professional beekeeper in northern France, managing 300 beehives and 800 colonies, I’ve been enduring a difficult period, much like many of my fellow beekeepers across Europe. The European honey market has been in crisis for several years, and the challenges we face are now reaching a critical point. A combination of factors, such as the influx of cheap imports, a market flooded with adulterated honey, the impact of climate change as well as invasive species and pests, has brought the beekeeping sector to its knees, threatening our livelihoods.
My colleagues and I at Copa-Cogeca have been consistently raising the alarm about the scandal of honey adulteration, and today, I feel compelled to speak out again because the situation has become catastrophic.
In response to growing concerns about honey adulteration, the EU – following requests from my colleagues and me – has begun to take important steps to tackle the issue. Strengthening border controls and revising the Honey Directive have been significant moves in safeguarding European beekeepers and promoting a fairer, more transparent market. However, we’re still far from achieving the goal we proposed of 0% adulteration by 2030.
We, therefore, have high expectations for the upcoming European “Honey Platform Expert Group” to identify effective ways of implementing the much-needed tools. What we need is a robust traceability system to better monitor the honey supply chain and detect cases of fraud. Additionally, improving the quality standards used to assess honey, as well as establishing a European reference laboratory to update and harmonise analytical methods and results, are crucial steps forward.
However, first and foremost, it is crucial that all Member States implement the new country of origin labelling with the mandatory indication on the front label of the jar listing all countries of origin of the honey with their exact percentage in the blend and this should be done without any possible derogation whereby only the percentages for the four largest shares would be required when they account for more than 50% of the blend. This transparency is crucial for regaining consumer confidence and safeguarding our sector.
This is all the more important in light of the latest market figures. In the first half of 2024, the average price for honey imported into the EU was just €2.17 per kilogram, a 14% drop compared to the previous year. Chinese and Ukrainian honey account for over 70% of these imports, priced shockingly low at €1.28/kg and €1.75/kg, respectively. Meanwhile, it costs us between €3 and €4 to produce one kilogram of honey. With this massive price gap making it impossible for us to compete, it’s no surprise our honey is piling up in storage, unsold.
We keep questioning how honey can be sold so cheaply while remaining profitable. In some countries, especially those more exposed to international trade, beekeepers are being forced to lower their prices just to stay in the game. Many are struggling to break even, and the situation is particularly dire for commercial beekeepers. If we are forced out of the market, the consequences for honey production, pollination services, and local economies could be devastating.
Without urgent support, European beekeepers won’t survive in this increasingly hostile market. If no action is taken, beekeeping could become little more than a hobby, and Europe risks losing its role as a key honey producer, becoming merely a hub for processing imported honey.
Given the lack of effective legal instruments to support us in times of exceptional crisis, it’s time for Member States to step up and create national-level support measures to protect beekeepers and ensure the longevity and sustainability of the honey sector.
We are encouraged to see the Hungarian presidency include beekeeping on the agenda at the upcoming SCA meeting in November. Now, we need Member States to seize this opportunity, confront the challenges we’ve been facing head-on, and work toward lasting solutions that ensure a future for European beekeeping.
Yvan Hennion – Chairman of Copa-Cogeca Working Party Honey, Beekeeper
Fonte: Copa Cogeca
