TWO weeks ago, on September 19, the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Energy Sector Cooperation between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

As a result of this signing, other trade issues were raised with Dr Rowley. One such issue was Trinidad’s banning transshipment of Guyana’s honey through Trinidad. This law was in operation for 80 years from 1935, but its amendment was only sporadically raised at CARICOM meetings. The last time it was raised was in May at the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) meeting, when the ball was thrown back into Trinidad’s court when they were permitted to enact necessary legislation at their discretion. Now the matter has been raised again on the signing of the MoU on Energy Sector Cooperation and Dr Rowley seemed optimistic that the discrimination against Guyana’s honey would be removed, once the entry of Guyana’s honey would in no way affect Trinidad’s biodiversity.
The T & T Minister of Agriculture, Mr Bharat, appeared to be less compromising than his prime minister. In Mr Bharat’s words: “I am not afraid to say that we’re very defensive of honey because we have a very strong sector and good record in honey. . .But we’ve committed to have another look at the law to see if we could create that environment to which we could allow in transit, once it doesn’t stay in the country.” Mr Bharat is obviously taking up a protectionist approach towards honey, which would seem to run counter to the CSME and the movement towards Caribbean integration.

Honey is one of the most ancient foods known to the human race. It was used from the time of the New Stone Age and there is evidence of this from various parts of the world. It was widely used in religion and there are references to it in all the various ancient religious books and scriptures. Its medical uses were found in the most ancient of texts and references — Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek and Indian — where it was used to treat the same ailments for which it is used today.

Its medical uses are numerous. It helps brain-function; it is used in treating inflammation and ulcers; it is a skin treatment and used as a beauty aid; and it positively helps various organs of the body, including lung, heart, liver and kidney. It is one of the most reliable treatments in Alternative Medicine and its use in Formal Medicine has been growing. Pure honey never deteriorates or goes bad; and there are examples of honey preserved in Egyptian tombs for thousands of years which are still usable! In fact, bacteria cannot grow in pure honey.

There was always a shortage of honey in the world and all countries, from ancient times, welcomed the importation of honey. And this has continued to be so today, where honey-producing territories such as Europe, North America and Australia still import honey. This growing demand for honey is caused by larger numbers of people becoming more affluent and moving away from cane sugar and other sweeteners such as corn syrup; and also because people are becoming more health conscious.

So far, we have been referring to pure honey, sometimes called raw honey. In the modern world, with the advance of technology and growth of irresponsible greed, honey has begun to be adulterated in some countries by the addition of substances such as glucose, dextrose, molasses, corn syrup, starch and so on. This adulterated honey is often passed off as pure honey. Countries with appropriate technologies such as Europe, North America and Australia have been able to detect honey forgeries and ban such imports. Chinese honey has been one of the most adulterated. There has also been legislation in almost all developed countries requiring that if adulterated honey is sold locally, the labels must clearly state the percentages of honey and other added substances.

Trinidad and Tobago is the only country in the world which prevents transshipment of honey and bans honey from being on board a ship or aeroplane from being at least a mile away from Trinidad. If therefore, a ship or plane finds itself in Trinidad waters or airspace and has honey on board, it will either have to dispose of the honey in the ocean or pay a fine. Also, no honey could be imported into the country. The ostensible reason for this legislation is to prevent the importation of any diseases which may infect the Trinidad and Tobago honey industry.

Honey is a substance in which bacteria cannot grow and Guyana-produced honey has never had any record of being affected with any disease and has always enjoyed a reputation of being pure and healthy honey. Accordingly, we are of the opinion that it could not cause any danger to the Trinidad honey industry if it were in transit or imported into the Trinidad market. The Trinidad legislation not only affects Guyana, but other CARICOM and CSME countries and seems to be anachronistic and not in consonance with the CARICOM goal of closer integration, especially economic integration.

Credible scientific assessment should be done of both Trinidad’s and honey from other CARICOM countries to ascertain if they are disease-free and thereafter allow the Caribbean free market to operate. Decisions of the Caribbean Court of Appeal could also be persuasive in such matters. We are of the opinion that small trade matters such as the importation of honey under CSME rules should be quickly resolved and not be allowed in any way to covertly or overtly inhibit Caribbean integration and free trade.