By Edit Gyenge
Did you know that the honey export industry today is worth billions?
Over the past two decades, the demand for this sought-after pantry staple has grown across industries ranging from skincare to medicine.
In this vibrant infographic, Edit Gyenge uses data from resourcetrade.earth to track the exponential growth in the global honey export industry from 2000 to 2020.
The Surge of Honey Money
Despite honey being harvested from beehives since antiquity, honey exports globally were only valued at $442 million in 2020. This number shot up to $2.3 billion in 2020.
| Rank | Honey Exporting Country | Value (2020 USD) |
Weight (2020 Tonnes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  New Zealand |
$333.34M | 16,547.36 |
| 2 |  China |
$229.62M | 127,132.51 |
| 3 |  Argentina |
$179.58M | 72,920.54 |
| 4 |  Germany |
$155.26M | 31,287.53 |
| 5 |  Ukraine |
$137.99M | 78,983.95 |
| 6 |  Spain |
$109.19M | 27,187.59 |
| 7 |  Brazil |
$100.27M | 45,733.41 |
| 8 |  Hungary |
$94.85M | 21,437.72 |
| 9 |  India |
$87.56M | 53,288.02 |
| 10 |  Vietnam |
$71.13M | 15,597.46 |
In the span between 2000 and 2020, agricultural powerhouses such as China, Argentina, and Ukraine consistently maintained their position as the top honey producers in the world. These nations exported thousands of tonnes of honey globally.
In fact, China continued to hold the position of the number one honey producer in pure volume terms in 2020.
What is Mānuka Honey?
Mānuka honey is produced by bees that collect nectar from Mānuka trees found only in New Zealand and some parts of Australia.
Known for its unique antibacterial and tissue regeneration properties, Mānuka honey has become highly coveted. In some countries it can sell for up to $400 per kilogram.
A Sticky Future for Honey Trade
The production of honey worldwide relies on the bees and the trees, both of which are under threat as the climate changes.
While floods devastated bee colonies in some parts of the world, bushfires and disease are affecting honeybee habitats in others, posing a major threat to the future of honey production.
Source: Visual Capitalist
