Buy a Bottle, Save a Bee

By Jason Knapfel for DietsInReview.com

Are you familiar with colony collapse disorder (CCD)? While it’s not a new phenomenon, it refers to the abrupt disappearance of honeybees in recent years. Since 2006, nearly 30 percent of honeybees have been lost each year due to various causes, much of which is a mystery.

As a way of supporting the beekeeping community and raising awareness about the disappearance of honeybees, Honeydrop Beverages recently announced its “Buy a Bottle – Save a Bee” campaign. The company produces natural teas and beverages made with a tablespoon of honey in each 14-ounce bottle.

Honeydrop will be donating a percentage of its profits from each bottle to a select group of small beekeepers across the United States. The proceeds will help them build and maintain new beehives, each of which increases the bee population by as many as 60,000 bees.

One beneficiary is Silvermine Apiary in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with 200 hives run by Andrew Coté, whose family has been in the bee business since the 19th century. It’s very much a family business atmosphere, as Andrew can be found selling honey every Wednesday in NYC’s Union Square Greenmarket.

Another beneficiary of the campaign is across the country in San Francisco, California. There, Robert MacKimmie and his company, City Bees, harvest honey from 75 hives in the Bay Area. In addition to his commercial interests in the honey business, Robert teaches sustainable, healthful beekeeping to the beekeepers of tomorrow.

So, what’s all the fuss about bees disappearing anyway, you may ask? Besides the many health benefits of honey, bees are more importantly responsible for the pollination of approximately one-third of the produce we eat. Every orange, almond and just about every apple comes to you because of bees. So, much of our food supply is in jeopardy if bees disappear.

“Being a part of the solution to CCD is an important part of our mission,” says Honeydrop CEO and Founder, David Luks. “Without honeybees, not only is there no honey, but also no almonds, no melons, no tomatoes, no sweet potatoes… they truly are an integral part of our food chain.”

If you’re interested in trying out any of Honeydrop Beverages’ products, their line of fresh-brewed teas include Green Tea, Lemon Tea, and Lemon Ginger Tea flavors. Their all-natural juices include Blueberry and Blood Orange. They can be ordered online or at select retail locations, such as Whole Foods, Nugget Markets, and Dean & DeLuca.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Krystal M.

1:45PM PST on Jan 26, 2012

Thank you. I'll search for this product next grocery day.

send a green star

Teresa W.

5:42AM PST on Dec 23, 2011

Buzz!

Sarah M.

3:06PM PST on Dec 19, 2011

So great. I've never seen this product before but now I will keep an eye out for it.

Howard C.

3:30PM PST on Dec 13, 2011

It sounds like a good idea, I'm not sure that this product is sold in the UK though. I always think it is helpful to know what percentage is being given to support the particular cause.

Mrs S.

9:52PM PST on Dec 12, 2011

I'd love to but we dont have this product here in the middle east :'(
We are doing our little part, though. We have this little beehive in our lemon tree and we decided we are going to keep it, although we fear our kitteh will abuse it :/

Jingli Z.

9:24PM PST on Dec 12, 2011

Nice :) but e % of proceeds that ll be donated shd be made known.

Michael C.

2:28PM PST on Dec 12, 2011

Beverly G. Words well spoken, "we need the bees, badly, to pollenate all the stuff without them the planet is doomed."

As CCD removes our natural pollinators, these bees, we would be left with few options. Perhaps we can come to depend on flies but they are not very good pollinators, and there are few other species that will come to our rescue. That leaves us with one clear choice, hand pollination, just imagine, hand pollination, man has never been very good at replicating nature, just destroying it.

I have used hand pollination on many occasions, when I have witnessed that there are less than few bees present.

I once read that with the loss of bees, such would poise a greater threat to man, than most other self-destructive means, aside from Nuclear War.

Masha S.

4:42AM PST on Dec 12, 2011

thanks

Danuta W.

12:18AM PST on Dec 12, 2011

thanks for the info

Beverly G.

7:14PM PST on Dec 11, 2011

i love bees, have planted lots of bee frendly plants this year had more bees. they are beautiful, lovely and fly with their little furry coats on and the pollen attahced going buisly from flower to flower. I cud watch them all day. God Bless the bess we need them badly.