One simple reason for using honey varieties from across the world is that honey consumption in Austria is significantly higher than the quantity of pure Austrian honey available. Domestic honey production covers less than 50% of demand in Austria. In 2018, some 11,000 tonnes of honey were consumed in Austria. During the same period, domestic bee-keepers produced 5,000 tonnes of the “liquid gold”, 2,000 tonnes of which were exported. That means Austrians consume far more honey than is available. An annual deficit of around 8,000 tonnes has to be compensated to meet demand among the population (Source: Austrian Statistical Office).

Honigmayr has therefore placed great importance for years on maintaining and developing a well-functioning international network of bee-keepers. In its rigorous selection of areas from which it imports honey, Honigmayr pays particular attention to diverse landscapes with fertile vegetation to guarantee the highest-quality honey. Honigmayr honey therefore comes not only from Austria, but also from other countries both within and outside the EU, such as Mexico, Spain, Italy, Moldova, Romania, Chile, Cuba and Argentina. Compared to Central Europe, countries in warmer regions have the great advantage that – thanks to large, pristine areas, a wide variety of nectar-supplying plants and a year-round harvest – they produce a vast surplus, which is then exported across the world.

We believe the quality of honey products from abroad has wrongly been discredited in some cases. From our decades of experience, we know for a fact that bee-keepers in our partner countries harvest high-quality honey on a par with the honey harvested by their fellow bee-keepers in Austria and the rest of Europe. With our strong commitment to quality assurance, we ensure that only the best-quality honeys, irrespective of origin, are processed for our customers. The EU’s Honey Directive is designed to establish uniform requirements for honey production. Honigmayr’s strict quality assurance ensures compliance with the EU’s Honey Directive. Moreover, honey is one of the few foodstuffs that is governed by a separate EU directive. Unlike with fruit spreads, for example, the origin of honey has to be indicated. As a result, honey is one of the most transparent foodstuffs on the Austrian market. Last but not least, the market mechanism of supply and demand also plays a role. Imported honey is sometimes cheaper because the exporting countries, especially those outside the EU, produce more honey than they need for their domestic market. That enables them to offer lower prices. However, besides the outstanding quality, we are also guided by a sense of social responsibility in our decision to source honey from outside the EU. In Mexico alone over 40,000 families make a living from apiculture or bee-keeping. The situation is similar in other countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. Honey has been imported to Europe from there for over 30 years. A whole economic sector would be ruined by halting or limiting imports of honey, which would further exacerbate poverty in those countries.