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

We don’t compare Passion Pop to French champagne, so why are consumers unable to distinguish between premium West Australian honey and imports? In my opinion, there are many reasons, but this is my conversation starter. It’s not just WA beekeepers facing challenges, many sectors are struggling. Retail is adapting to new consumer habits while hospitality and tourism, barely recovering post-pandemic, face a global economic slump affecting spending. Despite the traditional reliance on mining and agriculture for economic strength, these sectors also confront fluctuating prices. Nevertheless, they remain essential to our State’s resilience and job market. 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. This support in research and development, targeting bee health and honey quality, is invaluable, including efforts against diseases and for sustainable beekeeping. My frustration lies in the marketing and export support that, while beneficial — evidenced by WA’s honey exports valued at $12.76 million in 2020 — would suggest there is a global recognition of our honey’s superiority, while locally the challenge of quality recognition persist. I often feel I am facing an uphill battle here in WA to convince distributors and supermarkets to provide the industry with a fairer playing field to sell. I decided to ask ChatGPT why so much honey is imported into Western Australia. The answer was as follows: In terms of demand exceeding local production, yes, there could be times when honey volume decreases due to seasonal effects. This is not the case right now. It would only take a visit to their warehouses and facilities to see that this is far from reality. There is absolutely no need for 8000 tonnes of imported honey to be making its way to Australia right now. In addressing the issue of consumer preference for more variety in honeys available here in WA, it’s worth noting this State is unique in the number and variety of its flowering plants, which total some 7000 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 afield. Beekeepers in WA operate in a migratory way, shifting their hives to various sites, producing an abundance of different honey varietals throughout most of the year. Not to mention that a significant part of processing honey for supermarket shelves involves mixing different honey varietals to ensure flavour consistency. So, do consumers desire more difference or less? Not surprisingly, price is at the top of the list of concerns. 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 problem is consumers’ lack crucial knowledge about the honey they purchase. Remember the campaign on caged versus free-range eggs? Similarly, where’s the information on the real cost of imported honey? Overseas, bees are often over-farmed, fed sugar syrups, exposed to harsh conditions and treated with chemicals and pesticides, resulting in honey that’s heavily processed and utterly nutritionally depleted. I don’t advocate for pricing WA honey like imports; it doesn’t sustain our industry or help our beekeepers. My mission is to inform WA consumers about their power to drive positive change for our dedicated producers. 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. Justina Mettam is the operations manager at Honey-Online.