Market Trends of Natural Honey Industry
Increasing Demand for Natural Sweeteners with Health Benefits of Natural Honey
The rising consumer preferences for healthy and natural alternatives over artificial sweeteners and increasing awareness about the benefits of honey are majorly driving the growth of the natural honey market. Artificial sweeteners lead to obesity, elevated cholesterol, mineral depletion, tooth decay, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. They are also responsible for causing Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and different types of cancers and tumors. On the other hand, natural honey has a lower glycemic index (GI), which means that it does not raise blood sugar levels quickly, and it is also filled with antioxidants that offer substantial benefits to the human body. They have many health benefits and can be used in functional foods, skincare products, etc. Natural honey is a pure, unfiltered, and unpasteurized sweetener made by bees from the nectar of flowers and is known for its incredible nutritional value and health powers. It is progressively advocated as a substitute for sugar due to its health benefits. There is enough research that proves that replacing sugar with honey can help prevent gaining weight and also lower blood sugar levels. A daily dose of raw honey raises levels of good antioxidants in the body that help boost the immune system.
Furthermore, governments and international organizations have been promoting natural honey as an important food ingredient and a beneficial mediational ingredient. For instance, according to the USDA Sugars and Sweeteners Outlook Report 2022, the United States is the second-largest honey consumer behind China, with consumption reaching 618 million pounds in 2021, an 8% increase versus 2020, translating about 1.9 pounds per capita in 2021. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended it as an effective natural remedy for cough in small children, as well as for chronic cough in adults. The honey-based spread is a growing market in North America and Europe in terms of clean labeling. About 50% of the American population consumes honey. The purity and naturalness of honey are the crucial criteria consumers consider while purchasing the product. Thus, the popularization and demand for natural sweeteners is projected to drive the market during the forecast period.
Asia-Pacific Dominates the Market
Asia-Pacific registers as the dominant market for natural honey across the world. China holds the largest share of honey production and consumption in Asia-Pacific, followed by India. China's vast territory, rich nectar source, large population, and improvement in people's living standards are the reasons for the rise in domestic natural honey production. Honey, in China, is a staple food available more easily than sugar in a supermarket. In 2020, with a population of more than 1.4 billion inhabitants, honey consumption exceeded 300,000 metric tons per year in China. In 2021, China produced almost 500,000 metric tons of natural honey, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Even though its natural properties are being contested by several national and intranational watchdogs scanning for syrup additives to the People's Republic's bee-based commodity, the amount of honey produced still easily outranks every other country.
Along with this, the import volume increased in China from 4,222 metric tons in 2020 to 4,765 metric tons in 2021. China is the official European supplier to importing countries like Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom. As the natural honey demand is increasing in this region, companies have started introducing new varieties to the Asian-Pacific region. For instance, DELTA Commerce offers organic honey in varieties like thyme, lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, etc. Kato Brothers Honey Co. Ltd introduced Sakura honey as its specialty in the Japanese market.
Moreover, India is among the top and leading producers of honey in this region, next to China. Additionally, it also exports natural honey to a number of countries globally, like the United States, Canada, and Qatar, among others. The country also offers several different exotic varieties of wild honey like the Multi-flora Himalayan honey, eucalyptus honey, lychee honey, and many others. As per the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the country has exported 79,929.17 metric tons of Natural Honey to the world for the worth of INR 1,622.77 Crore/ 203.07 USD Million during the year 2022-23, with the major export destinations are the United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Canada.
