How sweet is the EU honey market?

European honey production recovered in 2022 to 280,000 tonnes after declining for four consecutive years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bee diseases, pesticide use and climate change, according to Dutch government organisation CBI.

EU’s biggest producers of honey in 2022 were Romania, Spain, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Greece, France and Poland, CBI’s data shows.

European honey production has fluctuated considerably in recent years. Overall, honey production showed a negative trend, falling from 274,600 tonnes in 2018 to 228,300 tonnes in 2021 before going up again in 2022.

The decline in European production observed in most of 2018-2022 is mainly attributed to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to a decline of bees.

The latter is primarily the result of bee diseases, the intensive use of chemicals and the application of pesticides in agriculture, and other environmental factors such as climate change.

The economic climate, marked by general inflation and an energy crisis, has also threatened the viability of beekeeping.

Experts attributed the growth in 2022 to a good production season in northern Europe, thanks to flowering and nectar production as well as favourable weather with infrequent rains.

European beekeepers are undergoing a very critical period, and it’s difficult to predict future production, claim analysts of the EU´s honey market.

Along with China and the US, Europe is also the largest global consumer of honey, accounting for an estimated 20% share of total worldwide consumption.

Europeans have been reported to consume honey every week — in countries like Slovenia and Greece, honey is consumed daily.

In 2022, European honey imports reached 363,000 tonnes and were valued at over €1,240 million.

According to the UN food agency FAO’s statistics, 10 of the world’s top-20 importing countries are from the EU: Germany, Poland, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Greece and Austria.