The Honey War: Australia and New Zealand vie for the name "manuka"

2021-10-06T20:29:34.457Z

Legal battle between Australia and New Zealand over the use of the name of manuka honey, of which both countries claim the origin. The Australian producers of this product, which boasts anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and healing properties, among other things, are trying to block the trademarking procedure initiated by the New Zealand counterparts of the words 'Manuka Honey'. In a three-day hearing in front of Wellington today, the Australian Manuka Honey Association argues that the plant from which the honey is made, Leptospermum scoparium, is native to the two neighboring countries. And the word 'manuka' has been used in Australia to describe the plant and honey since the 1930s. The New Zealand Manuka Honey Appellation Society, which calls for brand exclusivity,he claims that his manuka is distinctly different from the Australian product and that the word has an important cultural significance for the Maori. Manuka honey sells for hundreds of dollars a kilo in export markets and has a long list of celebrity endorsements of its health properties.