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Listen to or watch the original content Cyril Marx is co-founder of Hédène, a start-up specialising in producing French honey with traceability…
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Cyril Marx is co-founder of Hédène, a start-up specialising in producing French honey with maximum traceability combined with high-quality expertise.
Honey consumption has been declining for several years, as has production, which fell sharply between 2018 and 2019. Imports account for more than half of French honey consumption and far exceed exports. However, the market is dependent on external factors, particularly weather conditions which, combined with bee mortality, lead to a downward trend in production. Nevertheless, honey retains its image as a positive product that promotes well-being and offers multiple benefits, firmly rooted in consumption habits: 1 in 3 French people eat it weekly.
With the production of multifloral honey accounting for 40% of volumes, opportunities for growth and value creation lie in choosing honeys made from selected products with distinctive characteristics. Today, it is necessary to move towards perfect traceability according to Cyril Marx, and develop designations and certifications. Hédène therefore focuses on distinctive regional monofloral honeys and innovative uses, such as honey with Espelette pepper or truffle honey.
The honey market is extremely fragmented, with many small producers, although large operations with more than 150 hives still make up the majority. Distribution is mainly through direct sales by small producers, followed by packers, specialist shops and supermarkets and hypermarkets.