Bee Welfare Practices

Criteria

The product's honey supply chain must meet all mandatory practices and at least 2 of 3 optional practices (4 of 5 total). All data points apply to the specific supplier(s) producing the honey in this product.

Mandatory (must meet both)

• Hives are not transported for commercial pollination contracts. Short-distance moves within the producer's own land is allowed
• Bees are not destroyed in the comb during honey extraction and synthetic chemical repellents are not used to clear bees from supers. Only non-destructive clearing methods are used (escape boards, gentle smoking, bee brushes, blowers)

Optional (must meet at least 2 of 3)

• Enough honey is left on the hive for bees to feed themselves. The producer does not extract honey and replace it with sugar syrup or other substitutes. Seasonal supplementation (e.g. early spring feeding to stimulate brood when no honey is being extracted) is permitted
• Healthy colonies are not culled after the harvest season for economic reasons. All production colonies are maintained through winter. Normal overwinter losses from disease or environmental factors are expected and acceptable
• Queen bees do not have their wings clipped. Alternative swarm management methods are used

Evidence

Evidence should strongly support the claim and will be made publicly available unless marked confidential.

For mandatory practices:

• Published beekeeping or sourcing policy stating hives are not used for commercial pollination, with list of apiary site locations operated in the past 12 months
• Documented harvest protocol or SOP specifying the bee-clearing method used during extraction (selected from approved list)

For optional practices (submit evidence for at least 2 of 3):

• Extraction and feeding records for the most recent season: total honey extracted (kg), total supplemental feed (kg), and the months in which each occurred. These figures are held confidentially — only the pass/flag/fail outcome is shared publicly
• Colony count records: total colonies at end of harvest season and total at start of following season. These figures are held confidentially — only the pass/flag/fail outcome is shared publicly
• Written statement confirming queens are not wing-clipped, ideally as part of a broader beekeeping or swarm management policy
• Certification shortcut: Products sourced from suppliers holding EU Organic certification (Reg. 2018/848) or Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) apiary certification may use these to auto-qualify specific practices — see validation rules below.

Who can verify this Proof Point?

• EU Organic certifying body
• CNG certifying body
• Honey supply chain partner or beekeeper cooperative
• Independent beekeeping auditor