The EU is one of the largest consumers of honey in the world. And yet, EU production can only satisfy 60% of demand.
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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.
The EU's biggest producers of honey in 2022 were Romania, Spain, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Greece, France and Poland, according to data provided by CBI.
European honey production has fluctuated considerably in recent years. Overall, it has shown a negative trend, falling from 274,600 tonnes in 2018 to 228,300 tonnes in 2021 before rising again in 2022.
The decline in production observed between 2018-2022 is mainly attributed to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and a decline in bee population.
The latter is primarily the result of bee diseases, the intensive use of chemicals, the application of pesticides in agriculture and other factors related to the environment, such as climate change.
The economic climate, marked by 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, which occurred thanks to flowering and nectar production as well as favourable weather due to infrequent rainfall.
European beekeepers are currently going through a critical period, with analysts flagging serious challenges in predicting future production trends.
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 on average consume honey every week — while in countries like Slovenia and Greece, honey is consumed daily.
In 2022, European honey imports reached 363,000 tonnes and were valued at over €1.24 billion.
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.