Two of the main honey manufacturers and distributors in Canada are McCormick Canada (Billy Bee), and BeeMaid. McCormick Canada’s Headquarters is located in London, Ontario, and is division of McCormick & Company, Inc. based in Baltimore, MD USA. It is the largest spice, seasoning and specialty food and flavour business in the Country (McCormick in Canada, n.d.). They offer a range of food products under the brands Billy Bee, Club House, Doyon (Honey brand in Quebec), etc.. BeeMaid is a Canadian co-operative owned by western Canadian beekeepers, and is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba (About BeeMaid, n.d.). BeeMaid is their primary retail brand but they do pack private label honey for Canadian grocery stores. All honey packed by them is 100% Canadian
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Canadian manufacturers primarily use Canadian honey, but some also import honey from other countries. The countries from which Canada imports honey have changed a lot in the last couple of years due to a number of factors, the primary reasons likely being the rising price of Canadian honey and the declining value of the Canadian dollar. Since 2010 the price of Canadian honey has increased by 40% (see figure 4), and the Canadian dollar has dropped 25% to be only $0.75 USD (Canadian Imports of Honey, 2014). Although Canadian manufacturers were already importing honey from other countries, as the price of Canadian honey increased, they began to import more from countries such as Argentina (see figure 1) (Industry Canada, 2013). One can assume that as the Canadian dollar declined, these traditional sources of imported honey became more expensive than Canadian honey, causing their imports to decline. With Canadian honey being at an all time high, and with the low Canadian dollar, …show more content…
Firstly, with honey’s many health benefits, such as its natural source of vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and antioxidants, there is a health halo around honey, as it is mainly seen as a healthy, all natural, substitute for refined sugars. With its simple and short supply chain with few additional processing steps, honey remains a natural product, from start to finish, supporting its social image as a healthy food. Also, the majority of honey consumed in Canada is domestic honey. By consuming domestic honey, Canadians are supporting the Canadian economy, as well as domestic agriculture, farmers, and beekeepers, providing almost 9,000 jobs in Canada in 2014 (see figure 2) (Production and Value of Honey, 2014). Not only does the bee’s process of the pollination of flowers create honey, but it also creates a healthy ecosystem by doing the work of pollinating plants that rely on natural pollinators, like bees (How do Bees Help the Environment, n.d.). However, because the production of honey in Canada is known as a very Canadian industry and we are proud of our Canadian honey, choosing to import is not always seen in a positive light. Canadian manufacturers who choose to supplement their honey supply by importing from other countries can suffer the consequences of negative social perceptions, especially if imported from China, because they are not seen as supporting the local economy. Canadian
Canadian manufacturers primarily use Canadian honey, but some also import honey from other countries. The countries from which Canada imports honey have changed a lot in the last couple of years due to a number of factors, the primary reasons likely being the rising price of Canadian honey and the declining value of the Canadian dollar. Since 2010 the price of Canadian honey has increased by 40% (see figure 4), and the Canadian dollar has dropped 25% to be only $0.75 USD (Canadian Imports of Honey, 2014). Although Canadian manufacturers were already importing honey from other countries, as the price of Canadian honey increased, they began to import more from countries such as Argentina (see figure 1) (Industry Canada, 2013). One can assume that as the Canadian dollar declined, these traditional sources of imported honey became more expensive than Canadian honey, causing their imports to decline. With Canadian honey being at an all time high, and with the low Canadian dollar, …show more content…
Firstly, with honey’s many health benefits, such as its natural source of vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and antioxidants, there is a health halo around honey, as it is mainly seen as a healthy, all natural, substitute for refined sugars. With its simple and short supply chain with few additional processing steps, honey remains a natural product, from start to finish, supporting its social image as a healthy food. Also, the majority of honey consumed in Canada is domestic honey. By consuming domestic honey, Canadians are supporting the Canadian economy, as well as domestic agriculture, farmers, and beekeepers, providing almost 9,000 jobs in Canada in 2014 (see figure 2) (Production and Value of Honey, 2014). Not only does the bee’s process of the pollination of flowers create honey, but it also creates a healthy ecosystem by doing the work of pollinating plants that rely on natural pollinators, like bees (How do Bees Help the Environment, n.d.). However, because the production of honey in Canada is known as a very Canadian industry and we are proud of our Canadian honey, choosing to import is not always seen in a positive light. Canadian manufacturers who choose to supplement their honey supply by importing from other countries can suffer the consequences of negative social perceptions, especially if imported from China, because they are not seen as supporting the local economy. Canadian