Organic beekeeping - requirements and process

The apiary and its environment

In organic beekeeping, not only the apiary but also its surroundings are assessed. Bees collect nectar and pollen within a radius of several kilometres. That is why the location of the hives and the condition of the forage are at the heart of certification.

Conversion period

The conversion period is 12 months. During this time the wax in the hives is replaced with wax from organic beekeeping. Where no organic wax is available, non-organic cappings wax free of contaminants may be used under certain conditions.

Main requirements

• Location: within a radius of 3 km, the sources of nectar and pollen are mainly organic crops, wild vegetation or low-impact areas. There must be no significant sources of pollution, such as landfills, industrial sites and busy roads. The apiary sites are described in the annual programme.
• Migratory beekeeping: it is permitted, but every new site must meet the requirements and you notify us of the move in advance.
• Hives: made of natural materials, with no risk of contaminating the products. The wax foundations come from organic beekeeping and have a proven origin.
• Feeding: only when survival is endangered due to climatic conditions, with organic honey, organic sugar or organic sugar syrup.
• Bee health: against varroosis, only products with the authorised substances are used: formic, lactic, acetic and oxalic acid, menthol, thymol, eucalyptol, camphor. The products must be registered as veterinary medicinal products under national legislation; the BFSA maintains a list of authorised products on its website. Every treatment is entered in the log. When treated with synthetic medicines, the colonies are isolated and the wax is replaced.
• Prohibited practices: clipping the wings of queen bees, destroying the bees in the combs during harvesting, extracting honey from combs containing brood.

What is inspected on site

The inspector visits the apiaries and checks their location against what has been described, and examines the hives and the wax foundations. The inspector checks the apiary log - treatments, feeding, moves, yields - and the purchase documents for wax, sugar and products. The room for extracting and storing the honey is also inspected. Where necessary, samples of honey or wax are taken for residues.

Documents

• application, contract and annual production programme with the apiary sites;
• map of the apiaries and description of the forage within a radius of 3 km;
• apiary log and register of moves;
• documents for wax, products and feeding;
• records of yields and sales.

Price

The fee consists of a basic annual fee and a price per hive. The exact amounts are in our price list.

Private standards and markets

• Bio Suisse - for export of honey and bee products to Switzerland, under a separate beekeeping checklist.
• KRAV - verification for the Swedish market.
• NOP (USDA) - for export to the USA, honey from colonies treated with antibiotics cannot be sold as organic. An additional certificate of non-use of antibiotics under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2304 is also required, which we issue at your request after inspection.

Subsidies

Certification is a condition for payments under the organic beekeeping intervention (conversion and maintenance) under Ordinance No 9 of 2023. The contract with a control body must be concluded by 31 December of the year preceding the application.