Forest honey from Eastern Africa – specifically from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania – stands out as a unique and exceptional natural product, reflecting the biodiversity and richness of honey varieties globally. Scientific research into these forest honeys offers valuable insights into their physicochemical properties and floral sources, highlighting their authenticity and superior quality.
However, the unique and diverse floral sources of Eastern African forest honey contribute to a high mineral content, often resulting in conductivity levels that exceed the thresholds set by the Codex Alimentarius standard and the EU Honey Directive. Additionally, honey produced by stingless bees – as opposed to Apis mellifera – does not qualify as ‘honey’ under these regulations, regardless of its properties.
These discrepancies create significant trade barriers, hindering rural economic development in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
1. Authenticity and excellence of east African forest honey
1.1. Ethiopia
Ethiopia boasts a rich biodiversity of flowering plants, a favourable climate, and abundant water resources, supporting vast honeybee populations, including 5,982,336 managed colonies and countless wild hives. As one of the world’s leading producers of honey and beeswax, the country yielded approximately 52,034,413 kg of honey in 2022, with 93.3% sourced from traditional beehives.
Ethiopian honeybees rely heavily on wild plants, such as Bidens species and Guizotia scabra, which are crucial for honey production (Hussain et al., 2024). Other significant wild forages include Acacia albida, Echinops macrochaetus, and Lippia adoensis, distributed widely across the country. Cultivated crops like Sorghum bicolor and Zea mays, along with secondary sources such as Brassica carinata and Triticum aestivum, further diversify the pollen sources for honeybees.
1.2. Kenya
A study by Muhati et al. (2022) in areas surrounding the Marsabit Forest Reserve in Northern Kenya explores the connection between bee floral resources and forest honey. The evergreen Marsabit forest is home to diverse indigenous flowering plant species, including Croton megalocarpus, Drypetes gerrardii, Ochna insculpta, Strychnos henningsii, Vangueria madagascariensis, Olea africana, Cordia africana, Acacia senegal, Grewia fallax, Acacia xanthophloea, Harrisonia abyssinica, Psydrax schimperiana, Dovyalis abyssinica, Euphorbia tirucalli, Teclea hanangensis, Rinorea convallarioides, Tarenna graveolens, Cassipourea malosana, Podocarpus gracilior, and Juniperus procera.
The study reveals that these forest honeys possess distinct physicochemical properties due to their unique floral composition, contributing to their rich aroma, flavour, and nutritional profile. Muhati et al. (2022) confirm that these honeys are free from adulteration and meet high-quality standards, characterised by:
- high levels of antioxidants, beneficial for health;
- a variety of indigenous plants as floral sources, enhancing their unique taste and health properties.
1.3. Tanzania
The Tanzanian honey standard (TZS 851: 2023/ EAS 36:2020) includes honeys from both Apis mellifera and stingless bees. A recent study by Mduda et al. (2023) focused on honey from stingless bees across 26 locations in Tanzania, spanning six distinct vegetation zones:
- Acacia-Commiphora bushlands, featuring deciduous bushlands and thickets dominated by Acacia and Commiphora trees;
- Afromontane forests, high-altitude, multi-layered evergreen forests with significant plant diversity;
- coastal forests, humid, evergreen forests with high floral diversity, including endemic species;
- dry miombo woodlands, semi-deciduous forests dominated by Brachystegia and Julbernardia, growing on acidic, shallow soils;
- mangrove forests, found in coastal deltas and tolerant of brackish water conditions;
- wet miombo woodlands, with diverse plant communities, including Brachystegia and Maquesia, associated with swamp forests and wetlands, receiving over 1000 mm of annual rainfall.
The composition of honeys produced by Afrotropical stingless bees showed considerable variation, primarily influenced by bee species. Similarly, Vit et al. (2023) observed in Ecuador that honeys from different stingless bee genera exhibited significant differences in sugar profiles, organic acids, amino acids, and physicochemical properties.
2. High mineral content and conductivity: a natural challenge
One of the defining characteristics of East African forest honey is its rich mineral content, a result of diverse floral sources. This natural trait leads to elevated electrical conductivity, often correlating with higher free acid levels.
While these elevated levels are a natural outcome of the honey’s composition, they frequently exceed the thresholds set by the Codex Alimentarius and the EU Honey Directive.
Although these standards aim to ensure consumer safety, they inadvertently restrict the export of high-quality, naturally derived products like East African forest honey. This not only disadvantages producers but also limits European consumers’ access to these exceptional products.
3. Trade obstacles: regulatory limitations
Due to these regulatory constraints, valuable forest honey – which could qualify for premium classification based on its floral source and nutritional properties – may be downgraded to ‘baker’s honey’ due to its conductivity and free acid levels exceeding regulatory limits. This issue persists even when expert laboratory analysis confirms the natural origin of the elevated acid levels, highlighting a conflict between inherent product variability and rigid regulatory frameworks.
The reliance on parameter-based assessments, rather than a holistic quality evaluation, presents a significant barrier to the market access of African forest honeys in the EU. This undermines the economic viability of sustainable forest beekeeping practices and limits the recognition of these honeys’ unique qualities. Expanding the criteria for honey quality to accommodate the diverse physicochemical properties of natural honeys from different regions is essential.
4. Promoting fair trade and international cooperation and
Recognizing East African forest honey and similar products goes beyond regulatory compliance – it is a step toward fair trade, rural development, and international cooperation. Ensuring diverse honey varieties are valued in international markets fosters economic ties, supports biodiversity conservation, and strengthens sustainable beekeeping. Revising the Codex Alimentarius and the EU Honey Directive to acknowledge the unique properties of honeys from different regions and bee species would promote a more inclusive and equitable global honey trade.
This not only benefits producers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by securing fair compensation and improving livelihoods but also enriches global markets with high-quality, authentic products that reflect cultural and ecological heritage. To create a fair, sustainable future, we must advocate for these changes, ensuring no honey is left behind and that international trade aligns with the principles of cooperation and solidarity.
Dario Dongo
References
- Hussein, O., & Seid, A. (2024). Botanical origins of honeys from pollen analysis during the main honey flow across agro-ecologies in kelala district, South Wollo, Ethiopia. Heliyon, 10(21), e40101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40101
- Muhati, G. L., & Warui, M. W. (2022). Physicochemical Properties and Floral Sources of Honey Produced in Marsabit Forest Reserve, Northern Kenya. Journal of Food Quality, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3841184
- Christopher Alphonce Mduda, Juma Mahmud Hussein, Masoud Hadi Muruke (2023). Traditional knowledge and uses of stingless bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) in Tanzania. Int. J. Trop. Insect Sci., 43, pp. 1071-1088, 10.1007/s42690-023-01018-2
- C.A. Mduda, J.M. Hussein, M.H. Muruke (2023). Discrimination of honeys produced by Tanzanian stingless bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) based on physicochemical properties and sugar profiles. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 14:100803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100803
- P. Vit, J. van der Meulen, M. Diaz, S.R. Pedro, I. Esperanca, R. Zakaria, G. Beckh, F. Maza, G. Meccia, M.S. Engel (2023). Impact of genus (Geotrigona, Melipona, Scaptotrigona) in the targeted 1H-NMR organic profile, and authenticity test by interphase emulsion of honey processed in cerumen pots by stingless bees in Ecuador. Curr. Res. Food Sci., 6:100386. 10.1016/j.crfs.2022.11.005
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2012). Sustainable beekeeping and rural development. Rome: FAO. ISBN: 978-92-5-107062-8 https://tinyurl.com/2rb6t3an
