In 2024, imports of foreign honey increased by 23%, while climatic anomalies, with alternating heat, drought and bad weather, caused problems with blooms, forcing beekeepers to resort to emergency feeding to save the hives in Puglia, where they have already had to say goodbye to over 1 in 2 jars of honey, with 60% less harvest affected by climate change. This is what emerges from an analysis by Coldiretti Puglia which, on the occasion of World Bee Day which is celebrated on May 20th, organizes workshops and courses in support of the sector in the educational farms and in all the markets of Campagna Amica, with live honey extraction made by beekeepers. In the first two months of the year, almost 4.8 million kilos of foreign products arrived, of which over a quarter came from outside the EU, often of low quality and at rock-bottom prices, which exerts downward pressure on the prices of the Italian one, putting national producers are in difficulty, according to Coldiretti analysis based on Istat data. Orban’s Hungary has practically doubled sales in our country. Meanwhile, the ‘Breakfast Directive’ has arrived thanks to Coldiretti’s pressure against unfair imports from abroad which undermine Made in Italy honey with arrivals of low quality foreign products at rock-bottom prices, such as the Chinese one quoted just above the euro per kilogram, with Puglia having to say goodbye to over 1 out of 2 jars of honey due to the crazy climate.
As hoped, the new rules – explains Coldiretti Puglia – will combat imports of adulterated honey from third countries through mandatory and clearly visible labeling of the country of origin and will start a process to create a honey traceability system. A stop has been put on unsustainable dumping to the detriment of 1070 beekeeping companies in Puglia which take care of 32,000 hives and 13,00 swarms and produce – insists Coldiretti Puglia – numerous types of honey, from refined almonds to citrus fruits, from clementines to rosemary, thyme, cornflower, on, eucalyptus, coriander, clover and wildflower, with a significant growth in the presence of women and young people running the beekeeping businesses. But to this scenario are added the damage caused by bad weather and drought, which have penalized the blooms, and the anomalous heat of this winter, with the bees “deceived” and forced to leave the hives without however finding the flowers.
Thus producers – Coldiretti specifies – are forced to intervene with sugar feeding, to support bee families, who risk substantial losses. But in addition to the climate and the spread of alien hornets predators of bees (Vespa velutina and Vespa orientalis) – underlines Coldiretti Puglia – the “bee shepherds” have also had to deal with the explosion of costs, from glass jars to labels, from diesel cartons. The honey produced on the national territory, where GMO crops are not allowed unlike what happens for example in China, is recognizable through the mandatory origin labeling strongly supported by Coldiretti. The word Italy must be present by law on packages of honey collected entirely on the national territory (e.g. Italian honey) while in the case in which the honey comes from more than one country in the European Union, the label – continues Coldiretti – must report the the indication “mixture of honey originating from the EU” indicating the name of the countries (for example, if it comes from Italy and Hungary the jar must say Italy, Hungary); if instead it comes from non-EU countries it must be written “mixture of honeys not originating in the EU” with the name of the countries, while if it is a mix it must be written “mixture of honeys originating and not originating in the EU”, also here with the indication of the names of the countries.
The collection of one million signatures – supported by signing in all the Campagna Amica markets and in the Coldiretti offices and promoted by a #nofakeinitaly social campaign – with the proposed popular initiative to bring transparency to the agri-food chain is only the first step towards bringing the European Union to a change of perspective that supports food sovereignty, also leaving behind policies dictated by senseless green extremism. To avoid bringing to the table products from abroad, often of low quality, it is necessary – advises Coldiretti – to carefully check the origin on the label or to contact the producers directly on the farms, in the holiday farms or in the markets of Campagna Amica, This is the best way to support Made in Italy beekeeping, defend bees and biodiversity.
