martes 27 de agosto de 2013
Original en inglés Enviado por Juanse Barros a lapisada
Mercado internacional de la miel. Agosto 2013
Ron Phipps
President, CPNA International Ltd.1
Co-Chairman,
Committee for the Promotion of Honey and Health
Original en inglés Enviado por Juanse Barros a lapisada
Mercado internacional de la miel. Agosto 2013
Ron Phipps
President, CPNA International Ltd.1
Co-Chairman,
Committee for the Promotion of Honey and Health
Como a finales de agosto estamos en un estado de transición, ya que las
cosechas de miel de América del Norte aún no están completos ni comenzaron las cosechas importantes de miel de América
del Sur. Sin embargo, las grandes líneas de suministro corto y precios firmes
permanece en su lugar. Las demandas de los apicultores estadounidenses permanecen
vivas y los procesos judiciales continúan con lógica implacable, tras una década de fraude
aduanero y triangulación.
Hay nuevos elementos de inestabilidad como 1) las tasas de
cambio internacionales están en proceso de cambio, como la impresión de dinero
en el país; en Japón y Europa se sigue cubriendo una acumulación de deuda nacional sin
precedentes y 2) el impacto de cambio climático global continúa con curso firme
aumentando la volatilidad y la gravedad
de los desastres naturales. Este fenómeno está afectando a la mayoría de los
países productores de miel y tiende a hacer vulnerable el suministro de miel y
mantener los precios firmes. Hay cambios en los patrones de exportación basados
en qué mercados tienen barreras para
arancelarias y cuales no para países en particular y colores preferidos de miel
A medida que la Reserva Federal de EE.UU. está tomando
medidas para permitir que las tasas de interés suban los inversores están
retirando dinero de los mercados emergentes, y algunas monedas como la rupia
india, han caído a mínimos históricos frente al dólar.
En agosto, el Grupo Intergubernamental de Expertos sobre el
Cambio Climático (IPCC), constató después de una amplia revisión de los datos
globales, que la actividad humana es la causa de la mayoría de los aumentos de
temperatura de las últimas décadas, y hay evidencia de que un aumento por
encima de 5 grados centígrados provocaría el derretimiento generalizado del
hielo terrestre, las olas de calor extremas, y la dificultad cada vez mayor de
alimentos. Academias científicas importantes en el mundo han advertido que el
cambio climático es un problema grave.
Situación del
suministro mundial
Argentina
Argentina no va a comenzar a producir miel nueva cosecha
hasta finales de septiembre cuando comienza la primavera, el 21 de septiembre.
Al ser un país grande con una amplia gama de latitudes su cosecha va de
septiembre a marzo con la primera extracción importante a partir de diciembre y
el pico de producción de la miel blanca que ocurre en enero y febrero, lo que
implica que la nueva cosecha de miel blanca argentina comenzará a llegar a la
primeros meses de febrero a abril. Esperemos que la llegada de las nuevas
cosechas de miel no sea complicada como
lo fue el año pasado por las
especulaciones salvajes e irresponsables que tuvieron lugar en octubre y
noviembre de 2012.
Lo que está claro, ya que se acerca la primavera de la
Argentina, es que hay muy poca remanente de la cosecha anterior sin vender o
exportar. Los apicultores no tienen incentivos para vender a los exportadores
de los tambores todavía en sus manos hasta que tengan una mejor indicación de
tiempo y las perspectivas para los cultivos del norte de Argentina y la demanda
del mercado mundial.
En los inventarios de miel en Alemania no queda stock, la
demanda en Europa se ha intensificado. El valor del euro se ha fortalecido
frente al dólar EE.UU. Si la economía europea se estabiliza , Europa será capaz
de pagar mayores precios en dólares de EE.UU. a Sudamérica y Asia, ya que su
moneda ha estado rondando alrededor de 1,34 dólares por euro. Masivos problemas
de calidad y adulteración surgieron en Europa este verano en lo que respecta a
la miel china enviada directamente o por triangulación, y la demanda europea de
miel de Argentina, Brasil, Uruguay y Vietnam se ha incrementado.
Brasil
La situación de miel brasileña es bastante inusual este año.
Durante la época de la visita del Papa Francisco a Brasil este mes de julio,
había nieve en 100 ciudades! En agosto más de 150 ciudades en Brasil habían
experimentado la nieve y muchos brasileños por primera vez la vieron en su propio país. Las cosechas de miel
brasileñas han experimentado dificultades inesperadas y disminuyen debido a los
patrones climáticos adversos e inusuales. Las exportaciones de miel orgánica,
que habían disminuido significativamente durante la primera mitad del año de
las principales zonas productoras, aumentaron en en junio y julio basadas en la producción de
marzo a abril. Sin embargo, la gama de colores ha sido más oscura de lo
esperado, con mucho menos blanco y ELA que lo anticipado por los apicultores. La
producción durante julio y agosto se vio afectada drásticamente por el mal
tiempo.
Todo el mundo está mirando hacia la temporada pico de
producción que comienza en octubre / noviembre. Los principales exportadores brasileños
informan que el Nordeste se está recuperando de un largo período de sequía
severa. En Sao Paulo se retrasó la cosecha de la miel blanca Cipo-Uva. El frío
ha afectado la cosecha de la miel blanca que se produce en el Sur. El Azahar
comenzará antes que el año pasado y el principal cultivo de color ámbar claro comenzará
en octubre. Las abejas están en buen estado en todas partes, sin embargo. A
pesar de que las exportaciones de miel normales de Brasil en el mundo se
encuentran en una modesta gama de 20.000 toneladas métricas por año, con una
gama tan amplia de fuentes florales para la producción de prácticamente todo el
año, las perspectivas de futuro para el desarrollo de la industria y las
exportaciones de Brasil siguen siendo significativas.
Brasil es un miembro destacado de los países BRIC (Brasil,
Rusia, India y China) con abundantes recursos y gran potencial económico. Pero
la gran recesión mundial ha afectado negativamente a cada uno de los países
BRIC, con repercusiones importantes e impredecibles en numerosas industrias,
incluyendo la industria de la miel. Debido al impacto del estancamiento
económico global, el real brasileño se debilitó.
China
China sigue siendo un gran productor y exportador de la
miel, la mayoría de la cual es extraída como miel inmadura con alta humedad. La
humedad de la miel se reduce típicamente en cámaras de vacío en muchas fábricas
de procesamiento de la miel de China. Además de los problemas ahora conocidos de
triangulación de miel china, existe un amplio reconocimiento de la adulteración
masiva de miel china, tanto para la exportación como el consumo interno. En un titular de un
periódico chino proclamó que "el 60-70% de la miel en el mercado está
adulterada" y en de julio de 2013, el informe afirma que el jarabe de
remolacha y de jarabe de arroz se venden en China como la miel.
If, and
when, Chinese consumers suffer from and protest the fraud, adulteration and
food contamination, which have already been revealed in powdered milk, meat
products and honey, then effective pressure may push the authorities to clean
up the corruption and promote and enforce effective regulations regarding food
safety and honesty in labeling.
Apicultores chinos de la Asociación Apícola de Shandong están
protestando porque esto perjudica a sus derechos e intereses. También han
informado de problemas, tales como: 1) el uso intensivo de plaguicidas que
matan a grandes poblaciones de abejas de miel, 2) desmonte 3) enfermedades de
plantas importantes para la producción de miel, y 4) la necesidad de importar
especies de abejas occidentales no nativas en gran escala (Neil Thomas, Jinan
Times, 29 de julio de 2013).
Si los consumidores chinos sufren y protestan por el fraude, adulteración y contaminación de los
alimentos, que ya se han puesto de manifiesto en la leche en polvo, productos
de carne y miel, entonces la presión efectiva puede presionar a las autoridades
para limpiar la corrupción y promover y hacer efectiva normas relativas a la
seguridad alimentaria y la honestidad en el etiquetado.
Vietnam
Tal vez la característica más sobresaliente del mercado de
la miel vietnamita es el hecho que este
año Europa, después de haber completado su examen detenido y exhaustivo de las
industrias de la miel y la apicultura de Vietnam, ha abierto sus puertas a la
miel Vietnam. Durante los últimos 15 años, Vietnam se ha convertido en un
proveedor importante y fiable de la miel para el gran mercado de la miel
industrial EE.UU. Dado que Europa tiene
tanto serios problemas con la calidad y suministro de miel barata china barata
que había sido comprado, y ahora tiene experiencia con miel vietnamita, es
probable que r cantidades cada vez más grandes sean demandadas por Europa que
lo que está disponible para la exportación a USA. Dado que el euro está
actualmente de unos 1,34 dólares, y Europa ha establecido niveles de tolerancia
razonables para algunos fumigantes utilizados en determinadas plantas en
Florida, Brasil y Vietnam, Vietnam espera exportar grandes cantidades de la nueva
cosecha a Europa. Esto podría crear una crisis de suministro en los EE.UU. y el
aumento de los precios de manera significativa durante el primer trimestre de
2014.
Cultivos EE.UU.
Apicultores estadounidenses siguen luchando contra muchas
dificultades, entre ellas el uso de los neonicotinoides que conducen a pérdidas
de abejas, la reducción de las tierras de CRS y su conversión al maíz, la soja
y la colza, y condiciones climáticas adversas. En cuanto termine el verano, se
estima que el total de la cosecha EE.UU. será aproximadamente como la de 2012,
alrededor de 150 millones libras.
La calidad de la alfalfa y el trébol en el Dakota es
excelente y los precios siguen siendo altos. La extracción de la miel en
nuestras áreas de trébol productoras fue nuevamente tardía, pero lo más
importante es que los rendimientos por colmena fueron bajos. Los apicultores dicen: "Tuve un
buen rendimiento este año -. 45-50 kilos por colmena" En el pasado, los
rendimientos por colmena eran de 120 libras o más y los las producciones totales fueron más de 200 millones de libras.
Dado el incremento de los costos de energía, mano de obra y la producción, y los
rendimientos por colmena que se han reducido significativamente, los apicultores
estadounidenses deben obtener precios
mucho más altos por libra que lo que era común hace una década. Con la
necesidad de que los precios les permitan ser rentables, es eminentemente
comprensible, en circunstancias y tendencias prevalecientes, que los
apicultores estadounidenses y canadienses siguen siendo muy firme sobre los
precios.
Marco regulador
La industria de la miel necesita esfuerzos continuados y
efectivos para eliminar la evasión y poner bajo en la mira de la ley a los que
conspiraron en tales esquemas con el fin
de robar cuota de mercado a los miembros respetuosos de la ley de la industria
de la miel. Al mismo tiempo, debe haber mejores regímenes para permitir la
importación y el flujo seguro y eficiente de la miel en el mercado de EE.UU.
para cerrar la enorme brecha entre la producción nacional y el consumo interno.
Así las cosas, los importadores estadounidenses a menudo se han visto afectados
con retrasos de importación muy largos y muy costosos al introducir la miel que
es legítima y segura. Estos gastos eventualmente afectan a toda la industria.
El estudio científico de las muestras de miel de diferentes fuentes florales, diferentes áreas
geográficas y producidos bajo diferentes condiciones climáticas comenzó en
Vietnam, en colaboración con los laboratorios occidentales. Otro estudio de la
miel está siendo discutido por los tecnólogos de alimentos y científicos en
Brasil y Argentina por lo que la identificación de las muestras se va basando
en información científica.
A principios de este año, Honey Bee News de Australia
informó que el Dr. Rogers Karyne de Nueva Zelandia se refirió a los desafíos
que enfrentan los productores a la luz del hecho que las "normas internacionales para la
miel se basan en tipo floral de mieles europeas…las mieles pueden ser puros y
no adulterada, pero todavía puede "fallar" algunas de las pruebas de
importación, y volver con un resultado que sugiere que se hayan añadido azúcares. "Cuando se extrapola a partir de
una base de datos de miel europea o norteamericana, entonces los falsos
positivos ocurren a menudo.
A proposed
law to require U.S. Customs to create a honey characteristic database and
encourage the FDA to create a standard of identity for honey has been included
in the Senate Customs Bill S-662. According to an independent academic world
expert, who has been analyzing honey for decades, consumers are concerned about
truth in labeling, but verification of the identity, geographic origin and the
floral sources of honey cannot be legally or scientifically established without
a good published data base of reliable information and authenticated samples.
The establishment of an authentic and comprehensive data base of primary honey
types and the assessment of real health risks, which take into account average
daily intake levels (ADI), may allow government and industry to work to
cooperate to both 1) prevent circumvention of illegitimate honey and unfair
market advantage and 2) provide the normal flow of legitimate honey needed by
American packers to serve American retailers and industrial and food service
users. This dialogue must deepen as we don’t want to remove the baby with the
bathwater. There is a saying “Science first, standards second.” I would like to
add, “Better science, better standards.”
Un proyecto de ley para exigir Aduanas de EE.UU. para crear
una base de datos de características de la miel y fomentar la FDA para crear un
estándar de identidad de la miel, se ha
incluido en el proyecto de ley del Senado Aduanas S-662. De acuerdo con un
experto mundo académico independiente que ha estado analizando la miel durante
décadas, los consumidores están preocupados por la verdad en el etiquetado,
pero la verificación de la identidad, el origen geográfico y las fuentes
florales de la miel no puede ser legal o científicamente establecidas sin una
buena base de datos publicada de información confiable y muestras
autentificadas. El establecimiento de una base de datos de auténtica y completa
de tipos de miel primaria y la evaluación de los riesgos reales para la salud,
que tienen en cuenta los niveles promedio de ingesta diaria admisible (IDA),
puede permitir que el gobierno y la industria para trabajar a cooperar tanto 1)
evitar la evasión ilegítima y la ventaja comercial injusta y 2) proporcionar el
flujo normal de la miel legítima que necesita empacadores americanos para proveer
a los minoristas estadounidenses y los
usuarios industriales y de servicios de alimentos. Este diálogo debe
profundizar, ya que no queremos sacar al bebé con el agua del baño. Hay un
dicho que dice "La ciencia en primer lugar, las normas de segundo."
Me gustaría añadir: "Es mejor la ciencia, elevar el nivel."
El gobierno de EE.UU. y los organismos reguladores están
revisando la nueva Ley de Modernización de Seguridad Alimentaria propuesta, con
su programa de verificación de la seguridad alimentaria para los alimentos
importados. Esta ley puede crear mecanismos de auditores externos para aprobar
los exportadores de miel y sus envíos, mientras que para asegurar la
trazabilidad, la integridad y la seguridad de la miel importada a los EE.UU..
El establecimiento de regímenes de trazabilidad completos y
precisos, pruebas de tolerancias, datos científicos completos sobre los
perfiles químicos de la oferta mundial de miel, los niveles de tolerancia como
muchos otros alimentos como los lácteos, la carne y las aves de corral que ya las
tienen, y la evaluación de los riesgos para la salud, como la evaluación de los
beneficios para la salud exigir, en base a los niveles de ADI, aumentará en
gran medida la madurez, la salud y la sostenibilidad de una industria de miel
moderno.
1 CPNA
International, Ltd.
1043
Oyster Bay Road
East
Norwich, NY 11732
Tel:
(516) 935-3880
Fax:
(516) 628-3959
e-mail:
info@cpnaglobal.com
Informe distribuye de agosto de 2013
El Sr. Phipps es presidente y fundador de CPNA
International, Ltd. y se encuentra actualmente en la National Honey Board. Es
una empresa importadora de miel, alimentos naturales y té de diferentes
productores internacionales. Ron también es el ex asistente de investigación
personal para el presidente de la Asociación de Filosofía americana. Ha
recibido de la Fundación Nacional de Ciencia de becas para la filosofía de la
física teórica. Sr. Phipps es miembro fundador de la Comisión y salud, que
organizó tres importantes simposios científicos sobre el té y la salud y el
papel de los antioxidantes en la prevención de la enfermedad. Ha trabajado con
la FDA para desarrollar un protocolo de investigación para la diversidad global
de la miel. Actualmente, el Sr. Phipps es presidente de la Cámara de los
jugadores internacionales.
1 CPNA
International, Ltd..
1043
Oyster Bay Road
East
Norwich, NY 11732
Tel:
(516) 935-3880
Fax:
(516) 628-3959
e-mail:
info@cpnaglobal.com
Informe distribuye de agosto de 2013
As of late August, we are in a state of transition, since the North American honey crops are not yet complete nor have the important South American honey crops commenced. Nonetheless, the broad outline of short supplies and firm prices remains in place. The class action suits by American beekeepers remain alive as the judicial processes proceed with relentless logic, after a decade of customs fraud and transshipment.
There are new elements of volatility as 1) international currency rates are in flux, as printing of money at home, in Japan and Europe continues to cover the unprecedented cumulative national debt and 2) the impact of global climate change appears on a steady course, increasing volatility and severity of natural disasters. This phenomenon is affecting many major honey-producing countries and tends to make supplies of honey vulnerable and prices firm. There are also shifts in export patterns based upon which markets have non-tariff trade barriers and which do not for particular nations and specific honey color preferences. These shifts are likely to divert significant amounts of certain types of honey from America to Europe.
As the US Federal Reserve is taking steps towards letting interest rates rise, investors are pulling out money from emerging markets, and some currencies, such as the Indian rupee, have fallen to record lows against the dollar.
In August the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found, after extensive review of global data, that human activity is the cause of most of the temperature increases of recent decades, and there is evidence that an increase above 5 degrees Fahrenheit would lead to widespread melting of land ice, extreme heat waves, and difficulty growing food. Major scientific academies in the world have warned that climate change is a serious problem.
Global Supply Situation
Argentina
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Argentina will not begin producing new crop honey until late September as their spring begins September 21. Being a large country with a wide range of latitudes their crop runs September through March with the first important extraction beginning in December and peak production of white honey occurring in January and February, which implies that new crop Argentine white honey will begin to arrive at the earliest during February through April. Hopefully the arrival of new crop honey will not be complicated as it was this past year by wild and irresponsible speculations that occurred in October and November, 2012.
What is clear, as Argentina’s spring approaches, is that very little honey is left in Argentina that has not been already sold or exported. Beekeepers have no incentive to sell to exporters any drums still in their hands until they have a better indication of weather and prospects for Argentina’s northern crops and the demand from the world market.
As honey inventories in Germany have run dry, the demand in Europe has intensified. The value of the Euro has been strengthening relative to the US dollar. If the European economy stabilizes, Europe will be able to pay higher US dollar prices to both South America and Asia, since their currency has been hovering at about $1.34 per Euro. Massive quality and adulteration problems emerged in Europe this summer in respect to Chinese honey shipped either directly or via transshipment, and European demand for Argentine, Brazilian, Uruguayan and Vietnamese honey has spiked.
Brazil
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The Brazilian honey situation is rather unusual this year. During the time of Pope Francis’ visit to Brazil this July, there was snow in 100 cities! By August over 150 cities in Brazil had experienced snow and many Brazilians for the first time saw snow in their own country. Brazilian honey crops have experienced unexpected difficulties and declines due to adverse and unusual weather patterns. Exports of organic honey, which had significantly declined during the first half of the year from key producing areas, picked up in June and July based upon March to April production. However the color range has been darker than expected, with much less white and ELA than beekeepers anticipated. Production during July and August was affected dramatically by adverse weather.
Everyone is looking towards the peak production season which commences in October/November. Major Brazilian exporters report that the Northeast is recovering from a long period of severe drought. In Sao Paulo the crop of the white honey Cipo-Uva is delayed. The cold weather has compromised the crop of white honey which is produced in the South. Orange Blossom will start earlier than last year and the main light amber crop will start in October. The bees are doing well everywhere, however. Even though normal honey exports from Brazil to the world are in a modest range of 20,000 metric tons per year, with such a broad range of floral sources for virtually year round production, the future prospects for developing Brazil’s industry and exports remain significant.
Brazil is a leading member of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) with rich resources and large economic potential. But the global Great Recession has negatively affected each of the BRIC countries, with major and unpredictable repercussions on numerous industries, including the honey industry. Due to the impact of global economic stagnation, the Brazilian real has weakened.
China
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China remains a large producer and exporter of honey, most of which is extracted as immature, high moisture honey. The moisture of the honey is typically reduced in vacuum chambers in China’s many honey-processing factories. Besides the now well-known problems with transshipment and circumvention of Chinese honey, there is a broad recognition of massive adulteration of Chinese honey both for export and domestic consumption. A headline about “Fake Honey” in a Chinese newspaper proclaimed “60-70% of honey on the market is adulterated” and the July, 2013, report states that beet root syrup and rice syrup are being sold in China as honey.
Chinese beekeepers in the Shandong Apiculture Association are protesting that this harms their rights and interests. They have also reported problems such as 1) heavy pesticide use killing off large honey bee populations, 2) land clearance, 3) diseases to plants important for honey production, and 4) the need to import non-native Western bee species for large scale beekeeping (Neil Thomas, Jinan Times, July 29, 2013).
If, and when, Chinese consumers suffer from and protest the fraud, adulteration and food contamination, which have already been revealed in powdered milk, meat products and honey, then effective pressure may push the authorities to clean up the corruption and promote and enforce effective regulations regarding food safety and honesty in labeling.
Vietnam
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Perhaps the most salient feature of the Vietnamese honey market is the fact that this year Europe, having completed its careful and comprehensive review of Vietnam’s beekeeping and honey industries, has opened its door to Vietnam honey. Over the past 15 years, Vietnam has become a major and reliable supplier of honey for the large U.S. industrial honey market. Since Europe has both very serious quality and supply problems with the cheap Chinese honey that had been bought, and now has experience with Vietnamese honey, the demand for Vietnamese honey in Europe is likely to drain larger and larger quantities from what is available for export to the US market. Given the fact that the Euro is currently about $1.34, and Europe has established reasonable tolerance levels for some fumigants used on certain plants in Florida, Brazil and Vietnam, Vietnam expects to export major quantities of its new crop to Europe. This could create a supply crisis in the U.S. and significantly rising prices for the first quarter 2014.
USA crop
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American beekeepers continue to struggle against many difficulties, including the use of neonicotinoids which are leading to bee losses, reduction of CRS lands and their conversion to corn, soybean and canola crops, and adverse weather conditions. As summer ends, it is estimated that the total US crop will be around that of 2012, about 150,000,000 pounds plus or minus 10,000,000.
The quality of alfalfa and clover in the Dakotas is excellent and the prices remain high. Extraction of honey in our key clover-producing areas was again late but more importantly yields per hive were low. Beekeepers say, “I had a good yield this year – 45-50 pounds per hive.” In the past, yields per hive were 120 pounds or more and total crops were over 200 million pounds. Given the increased costs of energy, labor and production, American beekeepers with significantly reduced total crops and yields per hive must obtain much higher prices per pound than was common a decade ago. With the need for prices that allow them to be profitable, it is eminently understandable, under prevailing circumstances and trends, that American and Canadian beekeepers remain very firm on prices.
Regulatory Environment
The honey industry needs continuing and effective efforts to eliminate circumvention and bring under the scope of the law those who conspired and collaborated in such schemes in order to steal market share from law-abiding members of the honey industry. At the same time, there must be better regimes to allow the safe and efficient import and flow of honey into the US market to bridge the huge gap between domestic production and domestic consumption. As it is, American importers have often been hit with very lengthy and extremely expensive import delays while entering honey which is legitimate and safe. These expenses eventually impact the entire industry.
The scientific study of primary, scientifically authenticated honey samples from different floral sources, different geographic areas and produced under different climatic conditions commenced in Vietnam in collaboration with western laboratories. Another honey study is being discussed by food technologists and scientists in Brazil and Argentina so that identification of samples does not essentially rely upon hearsay evidence.
Earlier this year, Australia’s Honey Bee News reported that Dr. Karyne Rogers from New Zealand spoke about the challenges that their producers face in light of the fact that the “international standards for honey are based on European flora-type honeys…honeys can be pure and unadulterated, but can still ‘fail’ some of the import tests and they come back with a result suggesting that sugars have been added.” When you extrapolate from a European or North American honey data base, then false positives often occur.
A proposed law to require U.S. Customs to create a honey characteristic database and encourage the FDA to create a standard of identity for honey has been included in the Senate Customs Bill S-662. According to an independent academic world expert, who has been analyzing honey for decades, consumers are concerned about truth in labeling, but verification of the identity, geographic origin and the floral sources of honey cannot be legally or scientifically established without a good published data base of reliable information and authenticated samples. The establishment of an authentic and comprehensive data base of primary honey types and the assessment of real health risks, which take into account average daily intake levels (ADI), may allow government and industry to work to cooperate to both 1) prevent circumvention of illegitimate honey and unfair market advantage and 2) provide the normal flow of legitimate honey needed by American packers to serve American retailers and industrial and food service users. This dialogue must deepen as we don’t want to remove the baby with the bathwater. There is a saying “Science first, standards second.” I would like to add, “Better science, better standards.”
The U.S. government and regulatory agencies are reviewing the new proposed Food Safety Modernization Act, with its Food Safety Verification Program for imported foods. This law may create mechanisms for third-party auditors to approve honey exporters and their shipments, while insuring the traceability, integrity and safety of honey imported into the US.
Establishing thorough and accurate traceability regimes, testing tolerances, comprehensive scientific data regarding the chemical profiles of the global honey supply, tolerance levels as many other foods such as dairy, meat and poultry already have, and assessment of health risks, as assessment of health benefits require, based upon ADI levels, will greatly enhance the maturity, health and sustainability of a modern honey industry.
1 CPNA International, Ltd.
1043 Oyster Bay Road
East Norwich, NY 11732
Tel: (516) 935-3880
Fax: (516) 628-3959
e-mail: info@cpnaglobal.com
Report distributed August, 2013
Mr. Phipps is president and founder of CPNA International, Ltd. and is currently on the National Honey Board. He is an importer of honey, natural foods and tea from various international producers. Ron is also the former personal research assistant to the president of the American Philosophy Association. He is a recipient of the National Science Foundation fellowship for philosophy of theoretical physics. Mr. Phipps is a founding member of the Tea & Health Committee, which organized three major scientific symposiums on tea and health and the role of antioxidants in the prevention of disease. He has worked with FDA to develop a research protocol for the global diversity of honey. Currently, Mr. Phipps is president of the Chamber Players International.
There are new elements of volatility as 1) international currency rates are in flux, as printing of money at home, in Japan and Europe continues to cover the unprecedented cumulative national debt and 2) the impact of global climate change appears on a steady course, increasing volatility and severity of natural disasters. This phenomenon is affecting many major honey-producing countries and tends to make supplies of honey vulnerable and prices firm. There are also shifts in export patterns based upon which markets have non-tariff trade barriers and which do not for particular nations and specific honey color preferences. These shifts are likely to divert significant amounts of certain types of honey from America to Europe.
As the US Federal Reserve is taking steps towards letting interest rates rise, investors are pulling out money from emerging markets, and some currencies, such as the Indian rupee, have fallen to record lows against the dollar.
In August the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found, after extensive review of global data, that human activity is the cause of most of the temperature increases of recent decades, and there is evidence that an increase above 5 degrees Fahrenheit would lead to widespread melting of land ice, extreme heat waves, and difficulty growing food. Major scientific academies in the world have warned that climate change is a serious problem.
Global Supply Situation
Argentina
What is clear, as Argentina’s spring approaches, is that very little honey is left in Argentina that has not been already sold or exported. Beekeepers have no incentive to sell to exporters any drums still in their hands until they have a better indication of weather and prospects for Argentina’s northern crops and the demand from the world market.
As honey inventories in Germany have run dry, the demand in Europe has intensified. The value of the Euro has been strengthening relative to the US dollar. If the European economy stabilizes, Europe will be able to pay higher US dollar prices to both South America and Asia, since their currency has been hovering at about $1.34 per Euro. Massive quality and adulteration problems emerged in Europe this summer in respect to Chinese honey shipped either directly or via transshipment, and European demand for Argentine, Brazilian, Uruguayan and Vietnamese honey has spiked.
Brazil
Everyone is looking towards the peak production season which commences in October/November. Major Brazilian exporters report that the Northeast is recovering from a long period of severe drought. In Sao Paulo the crop of the white honey Cipo-Uva is delayed. The cold weather has compromised the crop of white honey which is produced in the South. Orange Blossom will start earlier than last year and the main light amber crop will start in October. The bees are doing well everywhere, however. Even though normal honey exports from Brazil to the world are in a modest range of 20,000 metric tons per year, with such a broad range of floral sources for virtually year round production, the future prospects for developing Brazil’s industry and exports remain significant.
Brazil is a leading member of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) with rich resources and large economic potential. But the global Great Recession has negatively affected each of the BRIC countries, with major and unpredictable repercussions on numerous industries, including the honey industry. Due to the impact of global economic stagnation, the Brazilian real has weakened.
China
Chinese beekeepers in the Shandong Apiculture Association are protesting that this harms their rights and interests. They have also reported problems such as 1) heavy pesticide use killing off large honey bee populations, 2) land clearance, 3) diseases to plants important for honey production, and 4) the need to import non-native Western bee species for large scale beekeeping (Neil Thomas, Jinan Times, July 29, 2013).
If, and when, Chinese consumers suffer from and protest the fraud, adulteration and food contamination, which have already been revealed in powdered milk, meat products and honey, then effective pressure may push the authorities to clean up the corruption and promote and enforce effective regulations regarding food safety and honesty in labeling.
Vietnam
USA crop
The quality of alfalfa and clover in the Dakotas is excellent and the prices remain high. Extraction of honey in our key clover-producing areas was again late but more importantly yields per hive were low. Beekeepers say, “I had a good yield this year – 45-50 pounds per hive.” In the past, yields per hive were 120 pounds or more and total crops were over 200 million pounds. Given the increased costs of energy, labor and production, American beekeepers with significantly reduced total crops and yields per hive must obtain much higher prices per pound than was common a decade ago. With the need for prices that allow them to be profitable, it is eminently understandable, under prevailing circumstances and trends, that American and Canadian beekeepers remain very firm on prices.
Regulatory Environment
The honey industry needs continuing and effective efforts to eliminate circumvention and bring under the scope of the law those who conspired and collaborated in such schemes in order to steal market share from law-abiding members of the honey industry. At the same time, there must be better regimes to allow the safe and efficient import and flow of honey into the US market to bridge the huge gap between domestic production and domestic consumption. As it is, American importers have often been hit with very lengthy and extremely expensive import delays while entering honey which is legitimate and safe. These expenses eventually impact the entire industry.
The scientific study of primary, scientifically authenticated honey samples from different floral sources, different geographic areas and produced under different climatic conditions commenced in Vietnam in collaboration with western laboratories. Another honey study is being discussed by food technologists and scientists in Brazil and Argentina so that identification of samples does not essentially rely upon hearsay evidence.
Earlier this year, Australia’s Honey Bee News reported that Dr. Karyne Rogers from New Zealand spoke about the challenges that their producers face in light of the fact that the “international standards for honey are based on European flora-type honeys…honeys can be pure and unadulterated, but can still ‘fail’ some of the import tests and they come back with a result suggesting that sugars have been added.” When you extrapolate from a European or North American honey data base, then false positives often occur.
A proposed law to require U.S. Customs to create a honey characteristic database and encourage the FDA to create a standard of identity for honey has been included in the Senate Customs Bill S-662. According to an independent academic world expert, who has been analyzing honey for decades, consumers are concerned about truth in labeling, but verification of the identity, geographic origin and the floral sources of honey cannot be legally or scientifically established without a good published data base of reliable information and authenticated samples. The establishment of an authentic and comprehensive data base of primary honey types and the assessment of real health risks, which take into account average daily intake levels (ADI), may allow government and industry to work to cooperate to both 1) prevent circumvention of illegitimate honey and unfair market advantage and 2) provide the normal flow of legitimate honey needed by American packers to serve American retailers and industrial and food service users. This dialogue must deepen as we don’t want to remove the baby with the bathwater. There is a saying “Science first, standards second.” I would like to add, “Better science, better standards.”
The U.S. government and regulatory agencies are reviewing the new proposed Food Safety Modernization Act, with its Food Safety Verification Program for imported foods. This law may create mechanisms for third-party auditors to approve honey exporters and their shipments, while insuring the traceability, integrity and safety of honey imported into the US.
Establishing thorough and accurate traceability regimes, testing tolerances, comprehensive scientific data regarding the chemical profiles of the global honey supply, tolerance levels as many other foods such as dairy, meat and poultry already have, and assessment of health risks, as assessment of health benefits require, based upon ADI levels, will greatly enhance the maturity, health and sustainability of a modern honey industry.
1 CPNA International, Ltd.
1043 Oyster Bay Road
East Norwich, NY 11732
Tel: (516) 935-3880
Fax: (516) 628-3959
e-mail: info@cpnaglobal.com
Report distributed August, 2013
Mr. Phipps is president and founder of CPNA International, Ltd. and is currently on the National Honey Board. He is an importer of honey, natural foods and tea from various international producers. Ron is also the former personal research assistant to the president of the American Philosophy Association. He is a recipient of the National Science Foundation fellowship for philosophy of theoretical physics. Mr. Phipps is a founding member of the Tea & Health Committee, which organized three major scientific symposiums on tea and health and the role of antioxidants in the prevention of disease. He has worked with FDA to develop a research protocol for the global diversity of honey. Currently, Mr. Phipps is president of the Chamber Players International.
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