Copiasuro is a cooperative that encompasses all four links in the beekeeping chain, including production, collection, export, and packaging of honey. To sell its product both domestically and internationally, Álvaro Almengor, a FairTrade beekeeper, mentions that the cooperative has special certifications such as FairTrade—a seal they have held for more than 25 years—and Natureland, which focuses on green movements.

Copiasuro is currently looking to grow and increase its storage capacity. It also plans to expan into the US market to sell its products both in bulk and packaged.

In 2024, the country exported US$4.2 million worth of honey, representing an increase of US$1 million compared to 2023. This, according to Xiomara Morales, president of Agexport's beekeeping committee and CEO of 5 Honey. According to Jacobo Pieters, head of Agexport's Market Intelligence Unit, exports were mainly directed to the European market, in countries such as Switzerland and Germany.

Pieters argues that having certified honey prepares the product to enter demanding markets with the purchasing power for value-added purchases. However, according to Morales, the problem is the adulteration of honey.

Andy Burge, general manager of Los Tarrales Private Nature Reserve, says that adulteration is a problem faced by many beekeepers, both in Guatemala and worldwide. According to Burge, honey is among the five most adulterated products in the world for human consumption. According to Morales, almost 95% of commercial honey is not completely natural.

Adulteration and smuggling

Muriel Ramírez, coordinator and spokesperson for the Formal Trade Defense Commission, attached to the Guatemalan Chamber of Industry, states that possible adulteration has been identified in products, especially from producers in rural areas who may be unaware of actions or mechanisms for treating honey properly, which leads to mixtures of water and sugar being used to meet production standards, but not quality standards.

According to Luis Mazariegos, director of the Chamber of Food and Beverages' Anti-Smuggling Observatory (CGAB), honey does not appear among the main indices.

However, Mazariegos points out that barrels of honey from neighboring countries have been spotted sporadically. “We do not consider this to be a significant distortion in the domestic market at this time.”

Mazariegos explains that adulterating honey or copying its flavor is not complicated, since the characteristic that consumers identify is sweetness, which can be reproduced using fructose, sucrose, or other sweeteners.

Traceability: the DNA of honey

“Traceability is like the story of where the honey comes from,” says Morales, adding that international certifications give citizens confidence by guaranteeing that everything has been handled correctly.

Pieters explains that, although certifications are not mandatory, they are required. In other words, a beekeeper can export without being certified, but the process will be more complicated. For honey, Pieters claims to have identified more than 86 certifications of Guatemalan origin for the international market, ranging from good practices to fair compensation for workers, proper distribution, and adequate storage.

However, the certifications required are not always the same. According to Morales, Europe will require different seals than those in Asia or South America. “FairTrade is international, which is very useful for certain countries.” Morales emphasizes that the purpose of certifications is to demonstrate that the product complies with all standards and is not adulterated.

Morales mentions that various requirements must be met in order to export, starting with those established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food, as well as the Ministry of Health. According to Morales, apiaries must comply with safety standards and have certifications.

According to data provided by the Ministry of Economy (Mineco), honey produced in the country is subject to technical standards issued by Coguanor, which are aligned with international standards such as the Codex Alimentarius and other specific regulations in regions such as the European Union and the United States.

According to Mineco, the implementation of the technical standards required in Guatemala depends on the producer's starting point; however, it involves steps such as process adaptation, technical training, and costs associated with certification, among other procedures. For small producers, Mineco ensures that free technical assistance, group certifications, and co-financing schemes are available.

Export opportunity

Honey exports could increase by 45% over the next three years, according to Pieters, provided that a conscious internationalization strategy is followed and markets with the highest demand are identified, as well as a clear value proposition for export.

“We have realized that the sector has great growth potential, not only to meet domestic needs, but also to export,” says Ramírez.

Pieters points out that although honey is a natural sweetener, it is not classified in the same category as refined sugar, which may boost it as a healthy product aimed at a market with lower sugar consumption. Based on this category, he states that global honey consumption increased from 5% to 6% year-on-year.

“To give us an idea, a normal or stable economy grows by 3%, so we can say that honey is growing at twice the rate of a healthy economy,” says Pieters. He adds that the industry generates more than 6,000 direct jobs. Similarly, Almengor states that 4,200 beekeepers and 6,200 apiaries are registered with Regapi.

Almengor reports that, for more than 30 years, they have been responsible for exporting raw materials, especially to countries such as Germany, where the honey is packaged and then sold to the end consumer. To generate added value, he says that instead of exporting in bulk, they seek to sell finished products internationally.

Luis Manuel Avila, chief executive of the Moscamed Program, says that they also seek to provide training in the production of soaps, creams, shampoos, and sweets to add value to the marketing of honey.

Competitive disadvantage

Pieters asserts that, internationally, they are competing against adulterated honey, which represents a complication when seeking to internationalize the product. He also points out that there is strong competition in the global market, as is the case with China, a country with greater scale and government subsidies. Pieters mentions that this nation could absorb a portion of the European market demand.

Ávila states that adulterated honey can cause harm, as it does not meet the parameters of quality, purity, health, and safety for human consumption. “It is critical to find and consolidate the producers' association, defining its processes and correctly identifying where the honey is being extracted from.”

He points out that a large part of Guatemala's honey market is destined for export, which involves potentially stricter requirements. Traceability, according to Ávila, is critical, as it proves that the producer did indeed generate the honey through cooperatives.

Ávila adds that when working informally, it is not possible to certify products, which makes it difficult for bee products to meet the minimum health requirements demanded by destination markets.

According to data from the Ministry of Economy (Mineco), some producers in Guatemala have limited access to technology and specialized technical assistance, as well as difficulties in affording certifications and low digitization, in addition to a lack of knowledge of regulatory requirements. According to Mineco, this directly affects their competitive capacity, preventing them from accessing higher-value markets.

Steps to follow

Ramírez mentions that the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food (MAGA) issues certain essential registrations for identifying apiaries and controlling the number of hives. Part of the strategy to generate competitiveness, according to Ramírez, is the creation of an alliance between the Ministry of Economy (Mineco) and the Ministry of Health, with the aim of issuing certificates and health registrations.

Ramírez also asserts that it is necessary to provide technical inputs to MAGA so that it can support honey producers, in addition to promoting a process of technification. The intention is to guide beekeepers toward formalization.

Similarly, he states that reviews of the products used, such as pesticides or agrochemicals, should be carried out. In this context, Mineco highlighted the existence of the National Sampling Program for the Detection of Chemical Residues and Contaminants, and the Maximum Permissible Limits in Honey.

Pieters, for his part, believes that in order to reach the potential for growth in exports, it is necessary to identify markets, seek admissibility protocols, and ensure that the business community, in a consolidated manner, promotes openness to international markets.

Through diversification of products and activities, an opportunity opens up for Guatemalan producers to grow, says Ávila.

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