Jeremy wrote
I guess I don't know what the certification requirements are in Canada...
but how is a beekeeper producing "organic" honey have bees dying from
pesticides? Are they only required not to apply any chemicals themselves?
I thought most of the certifications required "organic" foraging area as
well.
I've been trying to figure this out myself, as an Ontarian. I've seen a number of honey jars that say 'organic', and wondered how they get around the 2 mile flying radius problem -- as outlined in this Sci Am article, http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/compound-eye/2011/08/11/organic-honey-is-a-sweet-illusion/.
Seems like most of them don't. There are a couple of producers who have certification, but these are in isolated areas (one out on a peninsula in Lake Erie). I'm guessing the rest are just making the claim on the basis of their farm being 'organic'. Mr. Schuit is probably one of those. I have bees just a few miles from his, and there's no way I can see anyone in that area having a 3 kilometre pesticide-free radius.
Stephen
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