Cruelty-Free Beekeeping: Ensuring Bee Welfare and Sustainable Practices

Prioritizing Bee Welfare and Sustainability

In recent years, the conversation about ethical farming practices has gained significant traction, and beekeeping is no exception. As awareness grows regarding the origins of our food and products, it's essential to emphasize practices that also prioritize bee welfare. 

At Mānuka Health, we are proud of our dedication to cruelty-free beekeeping, reflected in our impressive statistic: less than 9% of our bees die each year. In New Zealand, where our hives are situated, the average mortality rate for commercially kept bees typically ranges from 10% to 30%. In contrast, the rate in the United States can vary from 20% to 40%, largely due to the stresses of frequent movement across the continent for pollination and honey production. These mortality rates are also influenced by factors such as disease prevalence, environmental stressors, pesticide exposure, and management practices.

Let’s delve into the practices that help us maintain our low mortality rate and the ethical considerations that guide them.

Our Unwavering Commitment

Introducing Rhys Casley, Apiculture General Manager at Mānuka Health, as he invites you to explore the fascinating journey of our mānuka honey—from hive to jar. Our story starts with a team of more than 80 skilled professionals committed to managing 21,000 hives across New Zealand, establishing us as the largest operation in the country.

Guided by a blend of instinct and science, our team explores the expansive landscapes of New Zealand in search of sites rich in mānuka trees and teeming with life—an ideal haven for our bees. Spanning 160,000 acres of pristine terrain, these remote corners provide the perfect conditions for our bees to thrive and meticulously craft honey, propolis, and royal jelly.

As stewards of these remarkable creatures, our duty extends to enhancing their efforts, ensuring productive, content, and thriving hives year-round. Our annual cycle involves strategically positioning hives to capitalize on natural nectar and pollen sources in spring, allowing our bees to roam freely during the abundant summer months.

In autumn, our focus shifts to disease monitoring, hive relocation, and securing their well-being through the winter—a process supported by advanced tracking technology to maintain hive strength and health. 

At Mānuka Health, we lead the charge in queen bee genetics research, developing disease-resistant hives to safeguard the health of New Zealand honeybees for generations to come.

Sustaining Our Environment

Our commitment to sustainability is uncompromising: no antibiotics, pesticides, or hormones are ever used in our beekeeping practices. We prioritize the well-being of our bees by ensuring they have ample honey reserves, harvesting only the surplus they don't require.

From Hive to Jar

After careful extraction from the hive, our honey undergoes a meticulous process at our state-of-the-art facility in Te Awamutu. Here, it matures, undergoes slow churning, and is creamed at low temperatures—a unique recipe that can take up to two years to perfect.

This painstaking process ensures a consistently superior taste and texture while preserving the honey's natural goodness, resulting in a mānuka honey unlike any other. Quality and purity are paramount at every stage; each batch undergoes a rigorous three-stage quality assurance process to ensure that every jar of mānuka honey we produce meets our exacting standards.

Our unwavering commitment to delivering the purest and most delicious mānuka honey reflects the passion and dedication that defines every step of our journey. 

Cruelty-free beekeeping is here to stay

Cruelty-free beekeeping is not just a trend; it’s a responsibility that we take seriously. By prioritizing the welfare of our bees, we contribute to a more sustainable and ethical food system. Our commitment to practices that result in very low bee mortality highlights the potential for beekeeping to be both profitable and humane. As consumers, you can make a difference by choosing products from beekeepers who prioritize the health and well-being of their bees. Together, we can create a brighter future for these vital pollinators and the ecosystems they support.