Consumer Behavior in Honey Markets

Consumer engagement with honey has evolved from simple nutritional use towards a multifaceted appreciation of its sensory, health and provenance attributes. Demand patterns now reflect a blend of intrinsic qualities – taste, texture, colour and perceived therapeutic benefits – and extrinsic cues such as origin labelling, certification schemes and ethical production methods. Age, cultural background and income influence the relative weight consumers place on these attributes, giving rise to distinct market segments. Younger cohorts tend to prioritise novel flavour combinations and convenience forms, whereas older generations often value traditional varieties and recognised health claims. At a global scale, preferences for local, organic and single-flower honeys underscore growing concerns about sustainability, traceability and food safety. Overall, willingness to pay is shaped by the interplay of hedonic evaluation, health expectations and socio-economic factors, with applications in targeted marketing, certification policy and producer strategies.

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Consumer Behavior in Honey Markets publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in consumer behavior in honey markets across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Monofloral honey: Honey predominantly derived from a single floral source, valued for distinct flavour and colour profiles.

Polyfloral honey: Honey produced from nectar of multiple flower species, often blending diverse sensory characteristics.

Willingness to pay (WTP): The maximum price a consumer is prepared to pay for a product, reflecting perceived utility and value.

Ethnocentrism: A consumer tendency to favour products believed to originate from one’s own region or cultural group.

Protected designation of origin (PDO): A certification indicating that a food product is produced, processed and prepared in a specific geographical area using recognised methods.

References

1. Exploring Consumers’ Preferences and Attitudes to Honey: Generation Approach in Slovakia. Foods (2023).
2. Where was my cup of honey made? PDO honey and sub-regional ethnocentric consumer segments. British Food Journal (2023).
3. Exploring consumer preferences and policy implications in local food systems: Does taste or labeling matter in honey?. Agricultural and Food Economics (2025).