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Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:56:43 +0200 |
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Looks like the question what is organic is much more difficult in USA than
in EU
EU made common basic rules for organic production many years ago. From my
opinion customers trust in them, and value organich honey for better price.
10 - 25 % higher price.
The word organic can not appear in any way in the labes if the production
has not followed the rules. There is also a special visual lable for all
organic products.
As far as I understand the imported organic honey from outside EU must have
been produced according the same rules.
The most important rules are:
Feeding mainly by organic honey. Organic sugar only allowed for special
reasons.
No synthetic varroa micticides ( kumafoss, fluvalinates).
No antibiotics allowed.
For varroa oxalic and formic acids, and thymol ok.
Wooden boxes, excluders ok Screened bottom board ok.
Foundations can be used from organic wax
Artificial insamination ok, wing clipping of quees not.
Pollen or supplement feeding not allowed. Hives should be placed so that
they can collect the pollen they need
Area within 3 km of apiarys mostly forest, or oganic farmed or farmed by
limited fertilization.
Area with in 6 km of hives can not have sugar mills, garbage dumps or other
places that could danger the products.
Records of all apiaries, all hives and their movements, all work done with
bees, about medications and feeding, amounts of honey extracted and sold.
Inspectons by state officilas at least once a year. Beekeepers pays the
inspections.
After starting the organic way beekeeper must follow the rules one year
before the honey can be sold as organic.
I am now in the end of this first year. The honey I extract in July will be
the first that I can sell as organic. Don't know yet if I get so much better
price for it that it will cover all paperwork and other expences, but hope
it will.
I am not saying that I think all the rules are logical and I would think
that they are good. But the fact is that they are the rules, and that is the
only way to produce organicly here. Reading this discussion has made me
realize that one set of rules is a very good thing for beekeepers in EU. Now
there is no unfair labelling by beekeepers who think organic demands are
less than what neighbour beekeepers does.
Ari Seppälä
Finland
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