> How can they label the products organic?  

> Last time I checked there wasn't even approved 
> organic labeling for honey in place.

Even though the National Organic Program may not
have final rules for USDA "Certified Organic" for
some specific commodities, including everything 
associated with beekeeping, they can obtain 
certification from one of the certification firms 
that are authorized by the USDA to do the actual 
work of inspecting the facilities and certifying 
commodities sold as "USDA Organic". 

Glory Bee appears to have paid QAI to certify things:
http://www.qai-inc.com/0_0_0_0.php

They say so on their web page where they explain
"Organic":
http://tinyurl.com/695oun
or
http://www.glorybeefoods.com/gbf/OrganicProducts.cfm?Token=70.18.28.78:{ts_2
008-09-09_02:58:09}-154835

While this clearly is not as impressive as the real USDA
Organic Certification, the companies like QAI engage in
quite a bit of chest pounding over how respected each of
their own certifications are.  In fact, there are so many,
I can't imagine the consumer knows one from another.  I
doubt that any of them are "well respected" beyond their
own parking lots.

If you had the ability to prove that your hive products were
organic (highly unlikely anywhere in the lower 48 US states, 
more possible in areas like Alaska, or Hawaii), you could 
get the same sort of approval if you were willing to both
endure the expense and hassle, pay the up-front fees, AND
pay a percentage of the sales price for the organic products
to the certifying agency as yet another fee.  If you are
a very small operation, you can "self certify", and simply
set up your own record-keeping system.

The above really bothers me - the certifying agencies have a
financial incentive to approve products that will sell
in large volumes, and less to certify smaller producers.
The way the money changes hands does not match the 
high-minded posturing of the various players, and that's
always a problem just waiting to happen.

> Is there a way to see documentation (a friend of mine was asking me this).


QAI will provide some sort of independent confirmation that the 
certification was obtained, but the specific records associated
with what you would buy, for example some wax, would have to come
from Glory Bee themselves.  They certainly have the documentation,
because the main annoyance of dealing with organic certification
is all the record-keeping required.

I know, as Bee-Quick went through the process for a group of Organic 
Honey producers in Hawaii.  In that case, the Organic Association
had its own in-house certification entity, and simply approved it
as a "permitted material", which is much less paperwork-intensive.

http://www.bee-quick.com/organic_approval_bee-quick.pdf

As soon as the USDA and NOP gets their respective acts
together, I'll likely go for the USDA certification, and
put the sticker on the label.

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