When we started our journey more than a decade back, we had no idea that our passion would be transforming so many lives in the years to come. Our set up amidst the serenely beautiful mountains of Yavatmal in Vidharba region of Maharashtra brought us face to face with some crude realities. And very soon our motive became much bigger than just providing quality honey to our consumers. We embarked on a mission to create an eco-system that improved the lives for all – farmers, bee keepers, bees and our consumers.
The Crude Reality
Vidharba region is beautiful. It is studded by rows of mountains harbouring lush green forests and majestic national parks like Tadoba and Pench. The floral diversity here makes it perfect for Forest Honey Collection. But this land with heart-warming views has a heart wrenching reality too. Yavatmal is among the worst farmer suicide zones in the country. This drought prone region has compelled our food fetchers to either give upon farming or give up on life altogether.
The farmers here are poor, lack equipment, get no training, have no direct access to market and therefore fail to overcome their crises. They neither get a good price for their produce nor know of alternatives to farming for survival.
You must be wondering what a bee is losing other than a few ounces of honey. It’s not your fault. Most of us are ignorant towards the inhumane treatment they receive. The traditional honey harvesters and tribal foragers, actually burn the honey combs to kill the bees and obtain their honey. The forest honey collectors in Yavatmal were following the same practice because there was no one to tell them that there was a better way of doing it and rather it was easy and cheap way of doing it. The gruesome practice ultimately impacted the bee population in a hard way.
For decades the consumers have been suffering at the hands of unethical business practices. Most of the honey being sold in the market is far from being organic and pure. They are full of adulterations and antibiotics, and lack the nutritive quotient of real honey. Adding to the misery is the price tag that comes with these marketed offerings. The cost of distribution channels and reserving sale points is conveniently added to the final price of the product which is ultimately borne by the consumers. With the repeated commercial abuse, the consumers lost faith in honey and all the goodness it promised
Our social Impact
The first farmer suicide in Yavatmal was reported 32 years back in 1986. Since then, the land has claimed thousands of lives making Yavatmal one of the worst farmer suicide zones in the country. The poor and under-equipped farmers in the region had no alternatives of earning a livelihood. With our bee boxes, competent scientific training and financial assistance, we have succeeded in giving these marginal farmers:
- Financial support throughout the year
- Healthy by back rates for the honey they harvest
- Technical support to increase production and maintain hygiene
The Honey Shop understands that bees are needed not only for their honey but also for pollination of numerous flowering and fruiting plants. Unfortunately, traditional forest honey collection involves their gruesome killing which has been destroying our fragile eco-system for decades now. We are trying our level best to minimize this damage. We train the tribal honey foragers in the region and give them the necessary equipment for hygienic and bee-friendly honey collection. We are sure that with our continued efforts and with the support of our countless happy customers, we will be able to make a much bigger and much needed difference.
Did you know that a single bee can pollinate up to 5000 flowers in a day? Yes, bees look tiny but they are among the most active pollinators in nature. 30% of all food crops require cross pollination and without bees into the frame, a lot of plants will fail to yield. Farms will remain fruitless and gradually turn barren, jeopardizing the survival of human race, altogether. Our bee-friendly technique are supporting the bee populace in the region, helping them get a better produce. In short, we are standing strong with our food fetchers, on as well as off the farm.
Making a Difference
After witnessing the not-so-humble side of life with our own eyes, we were left with an undying restlessness in our hearts. Our passion to bring goodness into the society had turned into a blazing desire to transform the society itself. We immediately understood one thing – it would need more than just sympathy to make a difference. It was time to make some serious considerations and bring about some big changes.
Our research stated very strongly that over the years, Yavatmal had changed drastically. The rains were lesser, ground water was being depleted by the day and the agricultural yield was going down with every season. This compelled us to ask one question – why were they still continuing with farming?
The answer was a ‘Lack of Opportunity’. The farmers here lacked the knowledge, the capital and the training that could have given them the courage to choose an additional means of earning livelihood. Once we understood this, the solution was rather easier to find. We gave them what we had and what we knew to use the best – Bee Boxes. And with every box, a new opportunity to experience a more fulfilled life was created.
Our mission to make a difference did not stop at handing over the bee boxes to marginal farmers in the region. The transformation had to happen at a fundamental level and everyone including the farmers, bee keepers, tribal honey foragers, consumers and the bees had to be a beneficiary of the new symbiotic eco-system being created. So here’s what we did:
Collection 1 – Honey from Bee Farming
The marginal farmers (now with bee boxes) and local bee keepers lacked the right training, technique as well as the funds required to become competent honey harvesters. This is where our actual role began. We taught them the scientific methods through which they could extract high quality honey without any traces of antibiotics. We also taught them how natural diversity affects the quality of honey and insisted them to place the bee boxes in organically grown farms or near wild flowers.
Collection 2 – Forest Honey Collection
The forest belt in Yavatmal is very suitable for forest honey collection. Hence, the region sees a lot of tribal honey foragers who still follow the destructive methods of honey collection. Their usual practice involves burning and killing the bees to get access to their honey. Our team joined hands with the Van Sanyukth Samity and started teaching these foragers the right techniques. We also provided them equipment that could help them to collect honey in a hygienic and bee-friendly way. Our efforts not only helped the foragers but also allowed the bees to flourish in the region.
We had always wanted to bridge the gap between the end users and the source of honey. Our well trained team of farmers, bee keepers and tribal foragers allowed us to do just that. They made it possible for us to get nature pure honey that could do justice to our vision and our consumers. We collect honey from them and in return give them adequate remuneration for all the hard work they put in. This honey, after passing through a series of rigorous quality checks, is packed and made available to our consumers directly.
We are proud to say that at The Honey Shop,
No bees are harmed in our honey collection process.
There are no traces of anti-biotics in our scientifically and hygienically harvested honey.
We have a commercially sustainable model for tribal honey foragers. We train them on bee-friendly practices and give them fair remuneration for their work and honesty.