Honey as a medicine

The medicinal properties of honey have been known over the years. The Indian medicine system Ayurveda describes honey as the nectar of life and recommends its use in the treatment of various ailments such as diarrhoea, ulcers, etc.4 Honey is used as a nutritious food, recommended to be taken along with lemon juice and hot water early in the morning.3 It was used as a component of beauty creams and for embalming the dead in Egypt.

Honey has been used as an adjuvant for accelerating wound healing in ulcers, infected wounds, and burns. It has also been used for storing skin grafts. In 1933 Philips6 mentioned the use of honey in burns and described it as the best natural dressing. In 1937 Voigtlander7 used honey to treat scalds and stressed the relief of pain and honey's soothing action.

source:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3188068/

 Does Honey reduce stress?

To relieve anxiety and nervousness: Yes, if you want to reduce or lower your stress levels, you don't necessarily have to depend on medical prescriptions. Add some pure honey in your porridge. The nutrients in honey produce a calming effect, especially when taken in significant amounts.

source: https://www.google.com/search?q=bee+honey+can++reduce+stress+and+fatigue%3F&sxsrf=ALeKk03SusOOq1G2ItD4aNK-EwmweUwgZg%3A1616337626639&ei=2lpXYMnGJtKfgQbn7oWoAw&oq=bee+honey+can++reduce+stress+and+fatigue%3F&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAM6BwgAEEcQsANQnrsCWJ67AmDkwAJoAXACeACAAZwCiAHrA5IBAzItMpgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrIAQjAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz&ved=0ahUKEwjJm8rwzsHvAhXST8AKHWd3ATUQ4dUDCAw&uact=5

honey can soothe your irritated throat

Warm tea that is sweetened with honey can help soothe your irritated throat. Tea also keeps you hydrated, which is another important step in treating a sore throat. Brew up a cup next time a sore throat starts to tickle.

You might consider choosing a green tea, which serves as an antibacterial, pain reliever, and rich source of antioxidants, as well as helps reduce inflammation.

source: https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-flu/help-sore-throats#honey

In countries across Africa, honey bees could help protect wildlife, grow food and make money – so why aren’t more people raising them?

Our need for bees is practical: bees and other pollinators support the food chain. “Some 80% of indigenous flowering plants in Africa benefit from honey bee pollination, and approximately one-third of all food produced is the result of commercial honey bee pollination,” says Mike Allsopp, a honey bee specialist at South Africa’s Agricultural Research Council.
source: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190507-honey-bees-africas-untapped-resource

Natural Honey Imports by Country

Worldwide purchases of imported natural honey totaled US$2.2 billion in 2018.

Overall, the cost of natural honey imports declined by an average -3.3% for all importing countries since 2014 when natural honey purchases were valued at $2.3 billion. Year over year, imported natural honey retreated by -4.7% from 2017 to 2018.

From a continental perspective, European countries bought the highest dollar worth of imported natural honey during 2018 with purchases costing $1.2 billion or 52.3% of the global total. In second place were North American importers at 23.8% while 20% of worldwide natural honey imports were delivered to Asia.

Smaller percentages were sold to customers in Oceania (2.4%), Africa (1.1%) and Latin America (0.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.

For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for natural honey is 0409.

source: 

Countries That Consume The Most Honey

The Central African Republic consumes more honey than anywhere else in the world, followed by New Zealand and Slovenia.
source:https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-that-consume-the-most-honey.html

What is the demand for honey in Europe?

How much honey is imported into Europe?

European imports rising in volume

Europe is the second largest global producer of honey. However, it is not self-sufficient and is dependent on honey imports from other countries. In fact, around 40% of Europe’s consumption needs are met through honey imports.  

European imports of honey increased considerably between 2011 and 2015, amounting to more than 339,000 tonnes in 2015.  

The continuous increase of European honey imports is mostly attributed to the substantial decrease of the European beekeeping sector, but is also the result of various problems related to major honey sources in previous years, such as droughts.  

Germany is the largest honey importer, representing a share of 26% of the total volume of European imports, amounting to more than 88,000 tonnes in 2015.  

The UK (12% of total imports), France (10%), Belgium (10%) and Spain (9%) are the other main European importers. Honey importers in these countries process the honey and sell it both domestically and abroad.  

In the next five years, honey imports are expected to increase further in order to compensate for the continuous decline of the European production. 

source: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=2463576108026620608#editor/target=post;postID=4339877644659242390