Greek honey is selling better than ever abroad, with exports climbing by around 10.5 percent in 2025 to more than $31 million. Officials say, however, that the real challenge now is protecting the product’s origin and making sure more of its value reaches the country’s beekeepers.
According to UN Comtrade data published through the World Bank, Greece exported 6,936 tons of natural honey in 2025, worth a total of $31.6 million. That compares with 6,274 tons, valued at $28.6 million, in 2024, meaning both volume and value rose by roughly 10.5 percent year on year.
Germany, Italy, the United States, Bulgaria and Canada were among the main markets for Greek honey.
Protecting the origin of Greek honey
Speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), Spyros Protopsaltis, Secretary General for Agricultural Development and Food, said Greek honey has the qualities to secure an even stronger position internationally. To make the most of that momentum, he argued, its authenticity and origin must be protected through transparency and fair competition.
Beekeeping plays an important role in rural Greece. European Commission figures released in January 2026 show that the country had about 20,000 beekeepers and 2.2 million beehives in 2024, producing an estimated 15,000 tons of honey a year. Beyond honey itself, bees are vital for pollinating crops and maintaining biodiversity.
The sector is also under pressure from rising production costs, climate variability and competition from cheaper imported honey, issues that have previously brought beekeepers to the streets of Athens.
How the new e-honey system will work
Greece’s answer is a digital platform known as “e-honey,” a balance-sheet system for honey and other bee products established under Law 5336/2026.
“The value of Greek honey must be recognized and must return to the people who produce it, while the consumer must be able to know with greater certainty the origin of the product they choose,” Protopsaltis said, describing the system as a modern tool for monitoring the market.
The platform will track the production, import, trade and distribution of honey and other beekeeping products, recording stocks and the quantities moving through the supply chain. It will be linked to the National Electronic Beekeeping Register and other public information systems. It will also draw on electronic invoices and digital records from Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), helping authorities follow the quantities that enter and circulate on the market.
The aim is to tighten control of the supply chain and curb misleading claims about where honey comes from, although its success will depend on how well the system is implemented and how effectively the data are connected.
New EU labeling rules for honey blends
The Greek initiative coincides with new European Union rules on honey labeling, introduced through Directive (EU) 2024/1438, which have applied since June 14, 2026.
Under the rules, blends must list each country of origin on the label in descending order by weight, along with the percentage each country contributes. Vague wording such as “blend of EU honeys” is no longer allowed. For very small portions of 30 grams or less, producers may use two-letter country codes instead.
The Greek Secretary General hopes that the new system, combined with the EU labeling rules and market inspections, could strengthen the credibility of honey sold in Greece and create better conditions for a sector with significant production and export potential.
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