Organic honey from Brazil
Boni Bio's liquid honey is produced by the beekeepers - and their industrious bees - of our international chain project in Brazil. The project was set up to provide a liveable income for farmers, while generating a positive impact on the environment and more transparency in the chain.
Where does our sustainable organic honey come from?
Farmers' cooperative Coopemapi
Boni Bio's delicious natural organic honey, which is on the shelves as of February 2023, comes from the south east of Brazil, more specifically from the Minas Gerais region. More than 20% of Brazil's population lives below the poverty line. Colruyt Group makes a conscious choice of working directly with farmers' cooperative Coopemapi to improve the social and economic condition of local family farmers.
International NGO Trias
In this project we also team up with Trias. This international NGO with roots in Flanders has years of experience in supporting farmers' and entrepreneurs' organisations in Latin America. Trias supports Coopemapi's farmers by facilitating the proper functioning of the cooperative through training, micro-credits and access to (international) markets. Thanks to Trias' team in Brazil, we know the exact ecological and social production conditions. Transparency in the production chain is very important to us as a sustainable entrepreneur.
Meli supplier
Once the Brazilian honey arrives in Belgium Meli in Veurne takes care of the processing and packaging. In this chain project, Meli wants to make a substantial contribution to more sustainable honey production by investing in part of the processing costs.
beekeepers supported in Brazil in 2023
of honey bought from farmers’ cooperation Coopemapi in 2023
Why is this honey sustainable?
The organic honey from our international chain project in Brazil is sustainable on three levels:
1. Economic: a liveable wage for the beekeepers
Colruyt Group guarantees the beekeepers a fair, transparent and stable price in line with the costs of honey production. One of the main objectives of this sustainable cooperation is a liveable income for the beekeepers involved, so that in the long run they have enough money to provide for their family's basic needs and invest in their future.
2. Ecological: organic beekeeping restores ecosystems
The Cerrado savannah covers 20% of Brazil's territory and a large part of Minas Gerais. It is the second most endangered ecosystem after the Amazon forest. Bees play an indispensable role in the pollination - and thus survival - of vegetation species. Through their beekeeping combined with organic vegetable, fruit and herb cultivation, Coopemapi's beekeepers help restore the natural ecosystem.
3. Social: training for young people
With Colruyt Group Foundation, we are also supporting a training project in Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Norte for around 40 local young people, in collaboration with Trias and Unicafes. Through quality training in beekeeping, we aim to awaken their sense of entrepreneurship and give them the opportunity to generate income independently. The focus is on ecological farming techniques and strengthening their professional network.
Honey from beekeepers, for sale at Colruyt and Bio‑Planet
Brazilian beekeepers' liquid organic honey is on sale as of February 2023 under the Boni Bio brand at Colruyt Lowest Prices and Bio-Planet.
