On the Way to Organic Honey: Alte Künste in the Conversion Year
Today we have very special news: Alte Künste Beekeeping has been in its conversion year to organic honey since June 2025!
But what exactly does that mean?
Since we started beekeeping, it has been our goal to offer our bees the most natural and healthy environment possible, while also producing particularly high-quality, natural honey. An organic certification for our apiary has been one of our big dreams.
However, until now, this was just a dream – as it is for many other small apiaries: the costs for an individual certification are simply too high for small apiaries. There are costs for the certification body, the association one joins, and necessary bureaucracy – all together, this represents both a financial and organizational hurdle.
With APIBIO, for the first time in Europe, it became possible to obtain organic group certification for honey – specifically for small and medium-sized apiaries. The EU developed the concept of organic group certification especially for smaller agricultural businesses, so that they too have the opportunity for organic certification. This now allows us to produce and certify our honey according to strict organic guidelines – and under fair conditions.
The Challenges of Organic Beekeeping
Of course, the transition to organic brings some challenges – but most points are actually already met by beekeepers who care about their bees anyway. The organic guidelines are extensive and require consistent adaptation of many processes. These include, among others:
- The renunciation of synthetic treatment agents for combating bee diseases, especially the Varroa mite.
We already do this, because we only want to expose our bees to the absolutely necessary stress to combat this pest. - The exclusive use of natural materials for beehives
no issue for us, we have always only worked with wooden hives – that’s what bee dwellings are called. - As part of our bees’ welfare, we are committed to never clipping the wings of our queens.
Honestly: who does that???
(Yes, of course, we have encountered beekeepers who do that. Nevertheless, we have no understanding for it.) - We have committed not to take all the honey from our bees, but to leave them a good portion for overwintering.
- If feeding is necessary, it is, of course, only with organic-certified feed.
- Then there’s the dreaded documentation requirement, which isn’t so bad. Again, the rule applies: anyone who loves their bees already keeps the necessary documentation about what happens at the hive.
- All of this (and much more) is then regularly checked on-site.
Why we chose organic
We are convinced: the step towards organic is the right one. Because it corresponds to our core values – respect for nature, love for bees, and the desire to create high-quality and honest products. With the support of APIBIO, we can now pursue this path without overextending ourselves financially.
What’s with the conversion year?
A conversion year means that we are already working fully according to organic specifications, but are not yet allowed to sell our honey as organic. All processes are already subject to strict ecological rules and are controlled. For us, this is not a disadvantage, but a clear commitment to transparency and quality. Organic is not a label you stick on, but a path you walk. From the summer harvest of 2026, we will then be allowed to sell our honey as organic-certified.
What does this mean for you?
For you, our customers, the transition to organic primarily means one thing: even more quality, transparency, and sustainability in every jar of honey. You can be sure that our honey not only tastes excellent but is also produced with consideration for the environment and the health of our bees.