On May 20th, International Bee Day is celebrated around the world to raise public awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinating media for food security. However, the day is also filled with protests. Beekeepers in many European countries, including France, have mobilized to protect honey made in Europe and resist imports of honey from Asian countries such as China.

According to the organization, honey imports have increased by 23% since the beginning of this year, with about 25% coming from areas outside the EU, which are usually low-priced and of poor quality. Low-priced honey imports have put downward pressure on high-quality honey in Italy, causing some European beekeepers to be forced to sell honey at a price reduction, sometimes even at just €4 per kilogram. However, this price is still much higher than the honey produced in Asia, especially Chinese honey, which sells at just €1.50 per kilogram.

Swiss media referred to Asian honey as “a real threat to European beekeepers”, especially because Chinese honey is often considered illegal. In France, a survey showed that Chinese honey is priced at only a quarter of the European price, but three quarters of the pots do not meet European standards or have nothing to do with natural honey. In fact, European legislation stipulates that honey must be pure, that is, without adding other ingredients. While Chinese honey is usually prepared with powder to increase product volume without increasing cost. A survey by the European Commission published in March 2023 showed that about 46% of 320 imported honey samples were suspected of violating EU regulations, especially the case of adding powder.

For consumers, it is almost impossible to distinguish between true and fake honey. Even trying to avoid Chinese products is actually difficult to. The labels on honey tanks often show each producing country but do not indicate a specific proportion, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish between fake honey. The beekeepers of the main French agricultural enterprises organized by FNSEA called on supermarkets to drop the shelves for honey imported from China and other Asian countries. This move made the sector that specializes in selling honey in the supermarkets almost empty, thus revealing the seriousness of the fake Asian honey problem.

Since 2020, European honey imports from China have increased by about 40%. China, as Europe’s main honey supplier, has had a profound impact on the European market. According to data from the European Commission, 74 percent of Chinese honey does not meet European standards, a phenomenon that has raised widespread concern and concern.

Beekeepers in Europe are under tremendous pressure in the face of low-cost honey from China. The European beekeeping industry has long been known for its high quality and purity, but the influx of low-cost imported honey has continued to hurt their market share. Many beekeepers say that if effective measures are not taken, they will face a survival crisis.

The Italian farmers’ organization Coldiretti noted that the European honey market needs to be more rigorously regulated to protect the rights of local beekeepers and consumers. They called on the government to strengthen the inspection and regulation of imported honey to ensure that the quality of honey on the market meets European standards.

In France, beekeepers have begun to unite to pressure governments and supermarkets to stop importing low-quality Asian honey.