How sweet is the EU honey market?

By&nbspEuronews & Olga Lavrentyeva

Published on 05/09/2025 - 11:44 GMT+2

European chromatic accumulation recovered successful 2022 to 280,000 tonnes aft declining for 4 consecutive years owed to nan COVID-19 pandemic, bee diseases, pesticide usage and ambiance change, according to Dutch authorities organisation CBI.

EU's biggest producers of chromatic successful 2022 were Romania, Spain, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Greece, France and Poland, CBI's information shows.

European chromatic accumulation has fluctuated considerably successful caller years. Overall, chromatic accumulation showed a antagonistic trend, falling from 274,600 tonnes successful 2018 to 228,300 tonnes successful 2021 earlier going up again successful 2022.

The diminution successful European accumulation observed successful astir of 2018-2022 is chiefly attributed to nan antagonistic effect of nan COVID-19 pandemic and to a diminution of bees.

The second is chiefly nan consequence of bee diseases, nan intensive usage of chemicals and nan exertion of pesticides successful agriculture, and different biology factors specified arsenic ambiance change.

The economical climate, marked by wide ostentation and an power crisis, has besides threatened nan viability of beekeeping.

Experts attributed nan maturation successful 2022 to a bully accumulation play successful bluish Europe, acknowledgment to flowering and nectar accumulation arsenic good arsenic favourable upwind pinch infrequent rains.

European beekeepers are undergoing a very captious period, and it's difficult to foretell early production, declare analysts of nan EU´s chromatic market.

Along pinch China and nan US, Europe is besides nan largest world user of honey, accounting for an estimated 20% stock of full worldwide consumption.

Europeans person been reported to devour chromatic each week — successful countries for illustration Slovenia and Greece, chromatic is consumed daily.

In 2022, European chromatic imports reached 363,000 tonnes and were weighted astatine complete €1,240 million.

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