We started with a simple goal: source a better organic honey.

If you're big into honey, you're probably aware that local beekeepers all across the USA produce all kinds of local honey. And at the same time, store shelves in grocery stores nationwide stock organic honey. While it's relatively easy to find either of those kinds of honeys, it's nearly impossible to find a honey that's both sourced from an American beekeeper and certifiably organic.

For years, customers have asked us to bottle an organic Local Hive Honey, so we started looking. After sampling countless organic honeys and comparing them to what was already on shelves, we finally found what we were looking for: a light, sweet, and incredibly floral-tasting organic honey.

It wasn't enough to be organic. It also had to be delicious.

Honey's flavor changes dramatically depending on what floral sources are blooming near the hive. This organic honey that we sampled –– the honey that would eventually become Organic Hive Honey –– had a lighter, more approachable taste than most organic honeys out there. Since organic honey can only be made in limited areas –– where the crops and wildflowers are free of pesticides, GMOs, and certain fertilizers –– there are relatively few honey varietals that can dependably be called organic. 

Another way to think about it: most honey bees have a whole buffet of different pollen sources that they can visit to make honey. For honey bees making organic honey, there's only a salad bar. While these bees still get plenty of nutrients, there's not as much variety. And as a result, most organic honey tends to have a muted taste, without the intense floral notes we love in Local Hive Honey.

How We Sourced Organic Hive Honey

The sample came to us from a small beekeeping co-op in Ceará, Brazil. Ceará is a state in northeastern Brazil, with a warm, tropical climate and diverse natural ecosystem –– perfect conditions for producing honey. 

These beekeepers live in a small, remote town in a region largely known for its sprawling ranchland. Beekeepers can have a symbiotic relationship with ranchers by helping to pollinate the forage that grass-fed cattle depend on for nutrition. Since the land in this area is primarily wilderness or used for ranching, there is minimal exposure to the pesticides commonly used in agriculture.

The view from Ceará.

A First-of-its-Kind Fair Trade Agreement

We worked with a local certifying organization, Fair Trade IBD, to develop a fair trade program just for these beekeepers and their community. Each year, a portion of proceeds from Organic Hive Honey will go toward 4 projects in the region, selected by the beekeepers based on their areas of greatest need:

• 2 social projects: These will vary, and may include literacy, housing, education, or public health programs
• 2 environmental projects: These will vary, but could include things like new facilities for extracting honey, new means of transporting hives, or equipment for caring for bees.

This unique Fair Trade program isn't determined by a committee. It's designed to benefit beekeepers directly. As our programs are put into place, we look forward to sharing how we're changing lives for these beekeepers and their families.

Schoolchildren in rural Ceará.

Going Straight to the Source

We normally visit our beekeepers across the U.S., so it was only natural that we go and visit these beekeepers too. We brushed up on our Portuguese and hopped on a few flights. 5,000 miles later, we arrived, ready to see the source of the golden organic honey that had captivated us. Beyond just sampling honey, we visited hives, watched the first bottles of Organic Hive being filled, and met the beekeepers responsible for this one-of-a-kind honey.

Luiz is 68 years old, with 180 hives. He was one of the first to work with beekeeping in the region, and has worked locally since 1998, encouraging other colleagues in agriculture to raise bees and preserve the environment. He has 12 children, and of these, 4 are beekeepers: Emanuel, Daniel, Jucier and Adriana. For him, beekeeping is both a source of income and a way to preserve the environment. 

Antonio (right) is 42 years old, a father of one and a 15-year veteran of beekeeping, with 424 hives. Beekeeping is his sole source of income, and he told us he's happy to work in a field that contributes a lot to environmental preservation. 

Silvio is 43 years old and father to 2 children. He's been beekeeping for more than 30 years, having grown up on a farm. He's owned his own bee boxes for 2 years and currently has 50 hives. For him, beekeeping has been a lifelong source of income and way to support his family.