Gastronomy as a Key for Market Access and Value Chain Development for Honey- Case Study in the Dominican Republic
Alejandra Flórez* and Mónica Ponce de León
ABSTRACT
This study shows how the use of honey in gastronomy can be a key factor for rural development, small beekeepers and growth of bee population. The aim of the study is to analyze the potential use of honey in restaurants and correlate it to how many beehives are needed to fulfill the rising use of honey in gastronomy. This can be projected also to estimate how many small beekeepers can be benefited by the use of honey in restaurants.
The study is based in the business case of “Nucayní” honey in Dominican Republic from January 2024 to July 2025. The data is based on a sample of 49 restaurants located in Santo Domingo that use honey as an ingredient. The methodology used consisted on identifying how much honey was used in each restaurant and how they used it.
The results show that the restaurants analyzed used an average of 420 kg of honey per year, which positions honey as a key ingredient for some preparations. The main uses of honey in restaurants are in sauces, dressings, marinades and glazes. Taking these considerations in account, we can see that in average, the use of honey in one restaurant can be fulfilled by one apiary with 25 beehives, which can impact directly at least one family in the rural areas of Dominican Republic. In conclusion, the increase of honey consumption in restaurants can lead to a significant increase in per capita usage, which promotes the growth of local beekeeping and bee population.
This study serves as a framework for future studies and projects that can be part of the “Strategic Plan for Sustainable Gastronomic Tourism of the Dominican Republic” and can be replicated in other countries with similar gastronomical scene.
