Recently Adony Melathopoulos wrote:
 
> On a recent trip to the fruit growing valley of the Okanagan in British
> Columbia, Canada I talked to some growers and government extention people
> and heard that growing organically certified fruit was bring top prices
> to an industrythat had been having troubles getting good prices for their
> product.  While the majority of growers are still using conventional methods
> of growing their tree fruits, there apparently is a big trend towards making
> the transition to organic. A couple of months ago a bee scientist was
> talking to me about the potential of running colonies organically.  One
> thing I have been thinking about ever since was could bees be managed
> organically, and if so, what would be the ramifications of organically
> certified beekeeping on the industry as a whole ?
>
> Some issues that I have been puzzling about, with regards to the organic
> certification of beekeeping, include the following :
>
> 1) Is organic beekeeping possible ?  Are there sufficient techniques to
> deal with mites and diseases ?  Are these techniques cost effective ?
> Can colony nutritional needs be met using organic products (would
> organic syrup be necessary for fall feedings) ?
>
> 2) Would certification be shooting the rest of the industry in the foot ?
> As consumers may be largely unaware that any pesticides or antibiotics
> are used in the production of honey, would an organic product severely
> taint the consumer's perception of the purity of honey.
>
> 3) Can other organic agricultural sectors that require pollination
> services (like tree fruits) really use hives that are being managed
> conventionally for pollination ? Isn't that cheating ?
>
> 4) Would organic beekeeping really command superior prices for hive
> products ?
>
> 5) Is the application of pesticides to a bee colony as much an
> environmental concern as broadcasting a pesticide in a field crop ?  I
> think the answer to this question is no, not as much.  If the environment
> is not such an issue (unless the manufactor of the pesticides is
> environmentally harmful), and the direct health risks to the consumer are
> not issue, then is organic certification in beekeeping unneccesary ?
>
> 6) Will an organic beekeeping sector be useful in developing alternative
> pest and disease control strategies and tactics for the rest of the
> industry ?  I've seen how the organic sector in other agricultural communities
> has had a big impact as innovating new non-synthetic chemical solutions
> to crop management (they generally have their hands tied with what they can
> and cannot use, and I think have to necessarily be inventive to stay alive).
>
> I'm hoping to generate some discussion on this topic, as I am not sure
> which side of the fence i'm on on this issue.
 
In the UK we have an organisation called the Soil Association who are
the main body responsible for vetting food producers who wish to use
the term 'Organic' when marketing produce.
 
Without approval of the Soil Association it would be a crime to
market a product as 'Organic'
 
Out of curiosity I recently contacted the SA to find out the criteria
for honey to be approved.  This is what I recall -
 
Bees must forage only on land that is certified as organic - free
from pesticides etc - for two years (by the
SA) and must be no closer than 4 miles from a garden or land that is
uncertified,  nor closer than 4 miles from a road.
 
Bees must not be fed sugar syrup.
 
Queens may be clipped
 
Lactic acid treatment is the only approved varroa control.
 
Drugs may be used to treat diseased colonies but no honey may be sold
from that colony for two years after treatment.
 
Artificial Insemination not permitted
 
Foundation must be produced from approved 'Organic' colonies
 
The first criterion means that it will be almost impossible to
produce SA approved 'Organic' honey in the UK and probably anywhere
in Europe.  In fact the only 'Organic' honey marketed in the UK comes
Mexico or one or two places in Africa.
 
It is perhaps amusing that in the UK good quality locally produced
honey sold from a 'whole food' shop or from the beekeeper's door
sells for about stlg2.20 a pound.  This honey by and large will have
been produced by small scale beekeepers, sold under their own label
and who have a reputation to keep.  The honey will be treated
minimally after extraction and will be fresh and as close as possible to a pure
wholesome food as nature intended it.  And it tastes good. Some
beekeepers standards are not as high as others but most small scale
producers sell a good product.  On the other hand 'Organic' honey
sells for about the same price as imported and blended supermarket
honey (which tastes to me like spiced up sugar syrup) for about stlg0.90
a pound,  less than half the price!
 
I find some of the Soil Association's criteria for the
'Organic' label rather bizarre,  apart from the fact that it is
totally useless for honey producers in the UK and Europe,  what do
you think?
 
 
Joe Hemmens
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Park House, Golberdon, Cornwall UK
01579382652