Honey has value as a food, as a medicine, as a cash crop for both domestic and export markets and as an important part of some cultural traditions.
Honey is valued everywhere as a sweet and tasty food. At times of food shortage it is a useful carbohydrate source that contains trace elements and adds nutritional diversity to poor diets. Honey often has an important place in traditional food preparation.
In many parts of the world, honey is used as a medicine or tonic and as a special treat for children. Modern medicine is increasingly using honey for a variety of treatments.
Fresh local honey is always more highly valued than imported honey. Many beekeepers sell their product directly to consumers. Honey is often used as a barter commodity in villages, especially in remote areas or areas isolated by war or sanctions. Honey is a stable commodity with a long shelf life. If harvested carefully, it will remain wholesome for many years.
FIGURE 10 Honey is a traditional medicine or food in nearly all societies. Here in Uganda, it may be sold in a simple way at village level.
As standards of living rise, honey consumption increases. Most industrialized countries import honey to meet demand. This requirement can provide developing countries with a useful source of foreign exchange from honey exports. The countries with the highest honey exports are Mexico, China and Argentina. Each country has a large beekeeping industry that is an important part of their agricultural economy (see Table 1). All developing countries can export honey if production is in excess of local requirements. Because beekeeping does not use land, production of honey for export need not conflict with growing crops for local consumption.
TABLE 1 World honey production and trade, 1997
|
|
Production |
Import |
Value |
Export |
Value |
|
Total |
1 112 000 |
317 630 |
539 820 |
264 701 |
453 546 |
|
Argentina |
65 000 |
171 |
336 |
70 422 |
108 361 |
|
Australia |
26 000 |
30 |
70 |
13 287 |
22 159 |
|
Canada |
29 000 |
1 992 |
3 279 |
8 408 |
17 054 |
|
China |
188 000 |
2 296 |
2 393 |
48 306 |
69 200 |
|
Cuba |
6 000 |
- |
- |
3 800 |
5 |
|
Ethiopia |
31 000 |
- |
- |
1 |
5 000 |
|
Germany |
12 000 |
83 295 |
130 383 |
13 061 |
33 406 |
|
Kenya |
26 000 |
20 |
57 |
1 |
1 |
|
Mexico |
54 000 |
135 |
246 |
26 900 |
41 090 |
|
South Africa |
1 000 |
587 |
707 |
27 |
83 |
|
UK |
3 000 |
21 223 |
37 282 |
904 |
2 430 |
|
USA |
90 000 |
75 950 |
124 852 |
4 111 |
7 858 |
Sources: FAO Production Yearbook, Vol. 51; FAO Trade Yearbook, Vol. 51.
Note: This table lists only official figures; although exports from African and Asian countries are significant, they are unofficial.
FIGURE 11 Packaged in a more sophisticated way, honey generates income (Viet Nam).
Honey is widely used as a source of sugars for making honey wines and beers. Honey also has a high cultural value: eating honey or using it for anointing are part of many traditional birth, marriage and funeral ceremonies; this cultural connection is evident in the term "honeymoon". In the Masai society of East Africa, honey is used to pay the bride price; in Ethiopia, honey wine is brewed for weddings.
