Mexico aims to entice Yucatan's beekeepers with 'Wellness Honey'
Yucatan's Sustainable Honey Production and the Launch of Wellness Honey
Yucatan, Mexico's largest honey producer, is home to around 8,000 tonnes of honey annually, supporting approximately 11,000 families who rely on beekeeping. The region, particularly Valladolid, is renowned for its melipona honey and apiary innovation, blending ancient Maya beekeeping traditions with modern sustainable practices.
A significant development in Yucatan's honey industry is the construction of a modern honey processing plant in Valladolid, with an investment of about 60 million pesos (USD 3.24 million). The facility, scheduled to begin operations in 2026, aims to add value to local honey, improve marketing, and create economic opportunities for about 300 local honey producers across 12 municipalities. It will also generate jobs for young apiculturalists, boosting local talent and supporting sustainable rural development.
The "Wellness Honey" initiative collects honey primarily from small Yucatecan beekeepers, who face challenges such as environmental threats and low international prices. This program integrates honey into government-run Wellness Stores across Mexico, aiming to improve beekeepers’ income by facilitating national distribution of their products.
The Wellness Honey was launched in April, with Yucatan Governor Joaquin Diaz Mena present at the event. President Claudia Sheinbaum explained the goals of the Food for Well-Being program during the launch. The Wellness Stores, previously Diconsa and Liconsa stores, have 24,000 branches across Mexico.
The honey processing plant will not only add value to the product but also facilitate its marketing and generate new opportunities for local beekeepers. The Wellness Honey joins Wellness Chocolate in an effort to support local producers and offer affordable, high-quality food to consumers. In the initial phase, 30 tonnes of honey were collected in Chochola for 70 pesos (US $3.78) per kilo.
Besides Wellness Chocolate and Honey, Wellness Stores offer coffee from Puebla and beans from Zacatecas, Durango, and Nayarit. The Wellness Stores provide affordable basic food basket items mainly to Mexico's lower class, particularly in rural and marginalized areas.
The Food for Well-Being program seeks to promote fair trade, benefiting farmers directly and avoiding intermediaries who reduce their profits. Mexico's government is introducing a new product, Wellness Honey, under its Food for Well-Being program, aiming to support local beekeepers and promote sustainable rural development in Yucatan.
- The Food for Well-Being program in Mexico aims to promote sustainable rural development in Yucatan by introducing a new product, Wellness Honey, supporting local beekeepers.
- The launch of Wellness Honey in April was attended by Yucatan Governor Joaquin Diaz Mena and President Claudia Sheinbaum, who explained the goals of the Food for Well-Being program.
- The Wellness Honey initiative collects honey from small Yucatecan beekeepers and integrates it into government-run Wellness Stores across Mexico, promoting economic opportunities and fair trade for beekeepers.
- The modern honey processing plant, scheduled to begin operations in 2026, will add value to local honey, improve marketing, and create jobs for young apiculturalists in Valladolid.
- Besides Wellness Honey and Chocolate, the Wellness Stores offer affordable basic food basket items like coffee from Puebla and beans from Zacatecas, Durango, and Nayarit, particularly benefiting Mexico's lower class in rural and marginalized areas.
