Why can’t consumers distinguish between premium WA honey and imports?

We don’t compare Passion Pop to French Champagne, so why can consumers not distinguish between premium Western Australian honey and imports? In my opinion, there are a few reasons for this and possibly many more that I am neglecting to see, based purely on my time spent within the WA honey industry and the passion I have for it. As I always tell my children, if the answer seems simple and no one has done it yet, maybe it’s not so simple.

But first, let’s take a step back and understand that it’s not just the Western Australian beekeepers that are doing it tough right now. You don’t have to look too far to see there are numerous industries struggling. The retail sector is grappling with changing consumer habits and, just as the hospitality and tourism sector were finding their feet after the pandemic, they have been hit with a global economic downturn that has significantly impacted discretionary spending. And we haven’t even touched on the impacts of labour shortages and climate change on production for the agricultural industry. Our economy, traditionally buoyed by robust mining and agriculture, plays a huge part in our nation’s wealth, however, both sectors are facing challenges in part due to fluctuating global commodity prices. Yet despite this, they continue to be vital for the state’s economic resilience and employment.

So, what support is provided to these sectors so vital to our economic resilience? Well, the WA government supports agriculture and mining through various initiatives aimed at boosting sustainability, productivity, and global competitiveness. There are programs aimed at assisting strategies to access broader domestic and international markets, regulatory support to streamline operations and reduce bureaucratic red tape, and promotion of sustainable and environmentally responsible practices.

Now, let’s turn our attention to agriculture and, more specifically, beekeeping. The Western Australian government provides beekeepers and the honey industry here with support through research and development initiatives aimed at improving bee health, productivity, and honey quality. These include funding for projects to tackle bee disease, promote biosecurity, and protect local bee populations while exploring sustainable beekeeping practices. All of which is incredibly valuable and gratefully received by the industry.

Here’s where I find myself a little confused, or maybe frustrated is a better word, and my head begins to swarm (pardon the pun) with questions. The Western Australian government also provides support for marketing and export opportunities to assist honey producers in reaching broader markets and educational programs. A benefit to many, given that total WA honey exports (HS040900) were worth $12.76 million in the 2020 financial year (DPIRD, 2022) with continued strong growth predicted. It is clear that Western Australian honey has earned a name for itself globally as far superior honey.

Where it becomes frustrating for me personally is that despite the clear acknowledgment of the quality of honey produced in Western Australia by global consumers, and their willingness to pay a higher price for our honey, we are still fighting an uphill battle here in WA to convince distributors and supermarkets to provide the industry with a fairer playing field to sell.

As with most people these days, I decided to ask Chat GPT why so much honey is imported into Western Australia. The answer was as follows:

• Demand exceeding local production capacity
• Diverse consumer preferences for honey varieties not available here
• Competitive pricing

Let’s think about these a little more. In terms of demand exceeding local production, yes, there could be times when honey volume decreases due to seasonal effects. I don’t think there are many beekeepers here in WA that would not want to throw something at the screen reading that local production capacity cannot meet demand right now. It would only take a visit to their warehouses and facilities to see that this is far from reality.

Now let’s address the issue of consumer preference for more variety in honeys available here in WA. At a glance, the Honey Flora of Western Australia (Coleman, 1962) article notes that this state is unique in the number and variety of its flowering plants, which total some 7,000 species. I would be so bold as to suggest there are plenty of options available to suit most customers without having to look too much further than our own state. Beekeepers in WA operate in a migratory way, shifting their hives to various hive sites to produce not only different honey varietals but to ensure the health and wellbeing of their bees.

Might I add at this point too, Mr. Chat GPT, that a significant part of processing honey to supermarket shelves involves mixing different honey varietals to ensure flavour consistency? So, do we desire more difference or less?

Now, pricing is the one that really gets me hot under the collar. Not surprisingly, and never more relevant than now, price is at the top of the list of concerns. Even thirteen years ago, Batt (2011) noted research showing that ‘In making their decision to purchase honey from a retail store, low price/low cost/cheap/affordable (68%) was the most frequently cited variable’. It makes complete sense, we are watching prices go north so fast, we can barely keep up. There are not many of us who are not conscious of pricing as we tackle the weekly food shop.

The issue lies in that everyday consumers have never really been armed with the knowledge behind what they are buying when it comes to honey here in WA. Remember the campaign to educate us about caged and non-caged eggs? Where is the marketing to tell consumers about why imported honey is so cheap? The fact that in other countries, bees are intensely farmed, fed sugar syrups, and even left to die over cold winters sometimes? Or the fact that every other place on earth uses chemicals and pesticides in beekeeping to be able to keep their bees alive and producing. Or that the honey they are consuming has been finely filtered and heated to high heats so there is next to no nutritional benefit left.

Or maybe we need to spread the word that, in fact, yes, our beekeepers most definitely have enough honey for every single person here in WA. There is no need to bring 8,000 tonnes of imported honey into Australia each year when we have beekeepers with sheds full, ready to go.

Honestly, my aim will never be to encourage customers to pay the same for WA honey as they do for imported honey. That is not the answer to sustainability for the industry and will not benefit our beekeepers. I am on a mission to engage with consumers here in WA, and educate them on how they can be a part of a really positive change for some of the most hard-working primary producers you will ever meet.

Be it Mums shopping at Coles, high-end restaurants across Perth, or the distributors who time and again tell me ‘No thanks, our clients just want the cheapest option’, I want everyone to make an informed choice when it comes to buying honey. Maybe it’s that you find that extra dollar in your budget to choose local honey over imported, or you purchase a larger size container of WA honey to make the pricing a little more comparable per 100g.

As mentioned, I never want to see Western Australian honey placed on the shelves of supermarkets displaying the same price as an inferior imported honey, rather I want each person to understand what makes West Aussie honey a better choice for your family and how choosing to buy locally produced honey will have the sweetest impact on our hard working beekeepers.

You can read the published version of this article online at The Countryman Newspaper here (subscription required).