BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Christine Gray <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 2 Oct 2003 13:07:21 +0100
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (55 lines)
From: "Bob Harrison" " I also believe that there is no such thing as organic
honey."


This smacks too much of trying to resist change - 'what I already sell is
all anyone should need'.

There is a sizeable (but growing?) minority of people who are becoming more
aware of the dubious quality of mass-produced food.  'Organic' appeals,
whether or not it really offers a better product. The consumer feels at
least they are indicating a preference. Despise and ridicule the consumer at
your risk!

Food quality depends on : 1 the original source : 2 how much it has been
protected from contamination during processing. Yes, no beekeeper can really
guarantee that the plants visited were all managed by organic methods - so
1. is not possible.   However, honey can be contaminated by using chemicals
in the hive and by less than very careful control on feeding 'chemicals'
such as processed sugar.  [I realise that sugar feeding is emotive on this
list - because some ways of managing bees depend on sugar feeding - but just
recogise for a moment that organic consumers are very picky indeed, and we
are taking here of  the preferences of consumers not of producers).   So
those beekeepers who want to, can go a long way towards marketting a
distinguishable product if they apply a label stating that no hard chemicals
are ever applied to the hives and no sugar is ever fed. Such honey may not
be labellable 'organic' because the source cannot be guaranteed. Since
voluntarily refusing the easy options of aplying chemicals and sugar feeds
can (ocasionaly) result in higher colony losses and lower yields per hive,
it would be only good sense for such honey to be marketted at a higher
price - it is no ploy, it is providing variety at the market place,
appropriately priced.  The consumer can then decide to buy or not, and the
market for such honey 'guaranteed of natural quality' will develop or not.

To avoid confusion and misunderstanding,  alarm and rebuttals, I am NOT
saying myself that all honey produced by standard methods is necessarily
inferior. I am also not saying that organic produce offers better food value
than standard industrialised farm produce. I am talking only of consumer
suspicion and clearly declared willingness to pay more for food produced in
ways that at least recognise the consumers concerns , even if it is not able
to go all the way. Organic farmers still use some chemicals. By analogy,
'Honey of natural quality' could still be claimed by beekeepers who apply
naturally ocurring organic acids and volatile oils.

The issue of distinguishing a range of 'purities' (if that is the right
word) in honey has not yet been adequately addressed in my view - dismissing
it all as bogus or ploys will I feel only delay the time consumers can feel
they understand better what they are buying.


Robin Dartington

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

ATOM RSS1 RSS2