Bees for Development Journal 114: March 2015
Plastic boxes with clear lids are the best way to package and present honey comb with food without contaminating it or affecting the colour, odour, or taste. Examples include Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polypropylene (PP).
Can I call my honey organic? Honey can be labelled as organic only if the beekeeper harvesting the honey has been inspected against a set of criteria by an accredited organic certification body. The certification process is expensive and worthwhile only if your customers are willing to pay
LOOK AHEAD MEXICO IX Congreso Mesoamericano sobre Abejas Nativas IX Mesoamerican Congress on Native Bees 20-26 April 2015, San Cristobal de las Casas Further details www.ecosur.mx/abejas RWANDA 5th ApiTrade Africa Event 2016 Further details will appear here SAUDIA ARABIA 13th Asian Apicultural Association Conference 2016 Further details will appear here SLOVENIA 1st Pan-European Honey Breakfast 21 November 2015 Further details www.czs.si
more for certified organic honey.
Packaging in difficult environments For beekeepers in remote, rural areas it can be difficult to obtain high quality packaging materials. It is common in these instances to see honey for sale in recycled plastic bottles or soda bottles. While this type of packaging is unsuitable for high-end supermarkets, it can be appropriate if your customers
SOUTH KOREA APIMONDIA: 44th International Apicultural Congress 15-20 September 2015, Deajeon Further details page 24 UK Ulster BKA 71st Annual Conference 20-21 March 2015, Greenmount Campus Further details www.ubka.org BBKA Spring Convention 17-19 April 2015, Harper Adams College Further details www.bbka.org.uk Scottish BKA Autumn Convention 12 September 2015, Oatridge Further details www.scottishbeekeepers.org.uk Conwy Honey Fair 14 September 2015, North Wales Further details www.conwybeekeepers.org.uk National Honey Show 29-31 October 2015, Weybridge Further details www.honeyshow.co.uk
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are more interested in your honey than in presentation: then simple packaging is suitable. Clean plastic bags are cheap and hygienic and suitable if nothing else is available. It is important always to ensure that whatever container is used, it is perfectly clean and presents no hazard to the product or to the customer. Author details Bees for Development, 1 Agincourt Street, Monmouth, NP25 3DZ, UK
LEARN AHEAD
UK Strengthening livelihoods in developing countries through beekeeping 27 March 2015, Monmouth Sustainable beekeeping 28–29 March 2015 and 22–23 August 2015 Ragman’s Lane Permaculture Farm See www.beesfordevelopment.org/whatwe-do/training
BfD Beekeepers Safaris Vietnam 9–22 November 2015
Trinidad and Tobago 11-21 January 2016 Turkey 23 July – 3 August 2016 See www.beesfordevelopment.org Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @BeesForDev
