Determination of Economic Sustainability and Efficiency in Honey Production in Italy: The Survey Honey Cost

The beekeeping sector plays a strategic role in conserving biodiversity and ecosystems while contributing to honey and other hive products production. This study aims to identify a method for calculating honey production costs and assessing the economic sustainability of beekeeping enterprises. An innovative aspect of the proposed analysis is the testing of a production cost determination method applied to the beekeeping sector based on national statistical representativeness. The Honey Cost project developed by CREA–Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy–aims to estimate honey production costs through a survey conducted via a questionnaire on a representative sample of 434 Italian professional beekeeping farms. The survey covers the 2023–2024 accounting years and provides evidence on cost structure and the main variables influencing production costs. The results reveal disparities between nomadic and stationary beekeeping farms, as well as between small-to-medium and large enterprises. Average honey production cost ranges from approximately EUR 9–15 per kilogram, often exceeding selling prices, particularly for small-to-medium-sized farms. Nomadic farms show greater economic efficiency and productivity than stationary ones, while large enterprises benefit from economies of scale and lower unit costs. These findings are useful both for beekeepers, to support them in adjusting production and business strategies, and for policy makers to better target actions and financial support for the sector.