1. True Cost of Small-Scale, Sustainable Production
Local beekeepers, especially those focused on locally adapted bees and sustainable practices, work with far fewer colonies and prioritise colony health over yield. They often:
- Avoid chemical treatments and imports, instead selecting for locally adapted, disease-resistant bees.
- Refrain from mass-production or artificial feeding, unlike many (but not all) commercial operations.
- Spend more time per hive, using labor-intensive but bee-friendly methods (e.g., regular brood breaks, selective breeding, and careful honey harvesting).
This all leads to lower volume but higher-quality honey.
2. Purity and Lack of Adulteration
Supermarket honey is often:
- Blended from multiple countries (often including low-cost imports from China, Argentina, or Ukraine).
- Ultrafiltered, which removes pollen (the only way to verify floral and geographic origin).
- Sometimes adulterated with sugar syrups to bulk it out.
By contrast, a local beekeeper’s honey:
- Is raw, unpasteurized, and contains natural enzymes, pollens, and trace nutrients.
- Can usually be traced directly to a specific region, hive, or floral source, offering authenticity and biodiversity benefits.
3. Ethical and Environmental Costs
Supermarket honey often relies on:
- Non-native or hybrid bees, like Buckfast or Italian bees, imported and unsuited to local conditions, contributing to genetic dilution and loss of native bees.
- Large-scale monoculture pollination, which stresses colonies and spreads diseases like Varroa and Nosema.
Local honey typically supports:
- Native or near-native bee conservation, especially AMM, through careful breeding and adaptation.
- Local ecosystems and pollination of diverse wildflowers and crops.
4. False Economy of Cheap Imports
Supermarket honey may be cheaper at the checkout, but:
- The true cost is offloaded onto bee health, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability.
- Imported honey undermines local food sovereignty and contributes to global bee decline through disease spread and genetic introgression.
5. Support for Local Skills & Stewardship
Buying from a beekeeper helps:
- Preserve local knowledge and traditional skills.
- Support beekeepers who act as ecological stewards, not just honey producers.
- Keep bees adapted to the local climate and forage, increasing their survival and health.