Is 'organic' honey even possible?

What Does 'Organic' Mean?

Officially, organic is a term for agricultural products. Some countries regulate these products by creating standards that must be met by the producer in order to use the term. Use of the term implies that certain agricultural practices have been implemented. It is a term that is useful for trade over political boundaries, both within and across countries.

If you compare governments' definitions of 'organic' with what organic has meant over centuries of pre-industrial farming, there are some important differences. Governments will allow the use of some chemicals fertilizers, pesticides and antibiotics, which of course, is not organic in the true and historical sense of the word. Interestingly, many current, true organic farmers (those who don't use chemical products at all) would not meet the standards imposed by governments even though the quality of their products is not only better, but their methods are more transparent (i.e., you can talk to them and find out exactly what they did to produce the item you are holding in your hand).

In short, 'organic' refers to farming or gardening using natural methods - no chemicals of any sort. When you see an item in a grocery store with the official 'organic' label issued by your country's government, be aware that chemicals may have been used in its production. If buying at a farmers' market or on a farm, you can just ask the farmer what he or she did to bring you what you're looking at. No label needed.

Organic Beekeeping

One thing that might have become apparent in the discussion above is that there is a great amount of awareness of and control over what is being produced. For example, a tomato produced by an organic farm was grown in soil by a farmer deliberately not using chemicals. Can a beekeeper (or bee farmer) say the same thing?

There are certain practices that do fall within the control of the beekeeper. She can investigate the area in which she is placing her hives to determine where there is any cash cropping, GMO plantings or other industrial agriculture practices occurring. On a global level, this practice ensures no major toxic influences fall within the normal flight radius of a foraging bee (up to 5 miles or more when pollen and nectar are in short supply). A beekeeper can 'just say no' to placing hives on or near non-organic farms or fields. But, there are many unknowns, and it is impossible to know everything that one's bees encounter. This is especially true in urban areas where toxic influences abound.

The one area where beekeepers can have complete control and thus ensure organic practices is hive management. Bee farmers are like any other kind of farmer out there - the majority use chemicals to make their own lives easier and to increase yield, if not quality. It is quite possible to manage a hive without using antibiotics and other chemicals, but most beekeepers do not do so. Unfortunately, like with other agricultural products, the chemicals used end up in the honey and other products that come out of the hive. So, essentially, even when beekeepers use organic practices, pure, organic honey in the true sense of the word is not necessarily the outcome.

The Nature of Bees

An area where there is positively no control is that of bee behaviour. Unlike with farm animals, you cannot control or domesticate bees. You can build homes for honeybees, and they will easily set up home and shop, but they will fly and forage where they wish. What they bring back to the hive, however, may contain chemicals despite the beekeeper's best efforts to ensure a toxin-free foraging zone.

Does Organic Mean Local?

No. Most of the farmers that live next door to us use chemicals, and that means that our bees feed on chemicals. Most beekeepers use chemicals as well, which negates the idea of organic honey. There is a huge 'buy local' movement on, and I have mixed feelings about it. Regarding fruit and vegetables, I would buy organic over local any day, cash flow permitting. I'd rather support a farmer doing the right thing in another town, province or country than support my neighbour who is harming the environment and me. Honey and the local movement gives me pause as local honeys can be rather special - unique to an area and season. Ultimately, honey purchases for me come down to farming practices coupled with whether the honey is a local specialty or not. I have purchased plenty of non-organic honey simply because it is unique.

Does Organic Mean Unpasteurized or Raw?

No. Just because something is free of chemicals does not mean it is free from processing. Raw honey is not processed. Unpasteurized means a limited amount of processing has taken place - see more details on my Honey Quality page.

The Bottom Line

So, can you obtain organic honey? I guess the answer is, theoretically, yes. In pristine areas and under pristine conditions, it is possible. Do these areas exist? That is really hard to say. I think what is safe to say is that the quality of honey varies, and as mentioned above, I have devoted a page to a discussion of quality issues. Organic honey, if we use organic in the way that governments loosely define the term, is possible. The best thing to do is to be educated and informed about honey and bee products, to buy direct from beekeepers, to buy unpasteurized, organic honey where possible, and to ask as many questions as possible.

Organic Standards Enforcement Agencies

    Canada: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency

    United States: National Organic Program, United States Department of Agriculture

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