The Oxford Dictionary could define the future for Australian producers in the billion-dollar manuka honey industry when a legal dispute about New Zealand’s attempt to trademark the name is heard later this month.
The famed dictionary’s definition of manuka honey will be one of three key arguments in a legal defence by the Australian Manuka Honey Association (AMHA) when it disputes a trademark request by New Zealand producers during a hearing in the New Zealand Intellectual Property Office starting on August 18.
Manuka honey has become globally sought after, including by stars such as tennis great Novak Djokovic, due to its wide-ranging medicinal benefits.
It has antimicrobial properties, can help the healing of wounds and costs between $300 and $500 per kilogram.
Australia is one of the main producers of manuka honey, with China, Japan and the UK among the biggest buyers of the superfood, which is also used in pharmaceutical and medical products.
