FROM HONEY TO FLORAL NECTAR
Besides their wonderful contribution to biodiversity, it is honey bees in particular that are widely known for their honey. They hop from flower to flower, extract the nectar and bring it back to their hive to make honey.
During the warm months of spring and summer, when the flowers bloom, the honey bees work hard to make as much honey as possible, as it is ultimately their only source of food to get through the winter. Their incredible cooperative spirit serves to maintain the entire hive. We don’t think it is up to us to take away this carefully collected liquid gold and therefore like to see the honey left with the honeybee instead of humans seeing it as a product for humans.
And there are more reasons why we choose to not consume honey:
A characteristic of bee honey production as we know it is that it contains residues of herbicides and pesticides from the environment of monoculture crops in which it was created; harmful substances that are unfortunately absorbed by the bodies of bees, as well as by our own bodies and the environment.
The production of bee honey unfortunately mostly means that honey bees work in conditions far removed from their natural way of life. Because they are fed sugar water (to replace the honey that has been taken by humans), are therefore given antibiotics in an attempt to reduce disease (after all, their resistance drops if they cannot consume their own nourishing honey and have to make do with sugar water), their hives are destroyed to prevent contamination of equipment, hives are gassed because the beekeeper finds it too expensive to overwinter them and so on. (To know more, watch the documentary ‘More than honey‘.) A way of dealing with living beings that we find appalling and thus do not support.
WHAT IS PLANT-BASED ‘HONEY’
Our Floral Nectar is made in harmony with nature and contains only ingredients that come from the Earth, without using honey bees or their honey. In this way, honey bees are able to continue their path of producing honey for themselves, while we can enjoy the rich, golden sweet taste of nectar. Floral Nectar can be used just like honey – in tea, straight from a spoonful, or as a sweet spicy topping over cakes or bowl of vegan yoghurt. However, we don’t see it as a substitute, but as a follow-up.
HOW DOES SUPPORTING POLLINATORS WORK THANKS TO FLORAL NECTAR
As a pollinating species, bees are very important for the budding of new flowers, herbs and fruit trees. The Happiest Healthy Farm offers bees an organic home where they can thrive and live freely (and no, we don’t keep them). Our Floral Nectar is therefore a proud product of co-creation, made entirely with and in support of nature.
Feel welcome to follow our journey in caring for pollinators, and in adopting a conscious, healthy, organic and plant-based way of life.
More stories about our beloved winged heroes will follow, and we would love for you to stay involved!
