Is it OK to Eat Honey?

I have spoken before of my addiction to TED Talks, haven’t I? I find them much more interesting than most of the equal parts bland and scripted reality TV we are all subjected to. One of the most interesting TED talks I have watched of late was Noah Rich-Wilson’s talk on bringing bees back to urban environments. See for yourself:  http://www.ted.com/talks/noah_wilson_rich_every_city_needs_healthy_honey_bees.html

What a wonderful little piece! It raised one question for me – given that bee populations are declining and they are virtually endangered, should I feel bad eating honey? I set out on a quest to find the answer to this question.

What I discovered was that, no, don’t feel bad about eating and buying honey. What you should always feel bad about eating is fake foods made by huge companies, and fake honey is no exception. It would seem as though “Honey Laundering” is on the rise with the worsening colony collapse disorder. So what honey can you buy? This is a great opportunity to Buy Local – not only will you be supporting a local farmer, but also a beekeeper who is committed to the survival of honeybees. We also found a honey we loved when at the Fancy Food Show, from Aiva Naturals.

By purchasing and eating honey, you are not only helping the honey bee population grow, but also the flowers that they feed on. Bees are a vital part of the life cycle of many flowers and pollination is vital. With more bees flying around, the rates of pollination will increase and flora will also benefit. Besides that, bees are just downright fascinating creatures and besides being a great sweetener, honey has great healing benefits.

What’s your favorite kind of honey? Let us know in the comments below!