Are you buying ethical honey?

I've always got some honey in the cupboard as it tastes lovely on toast, soothing in tea when I've got a sore throat and a great natural sweetener and alternative to sugar in recipes. I'd never even thought about the fact that honey could be produced unethically but having read Friend's of the Earth's article about ethical honey, I now know there are things that I should be considering. Ethical Consumer have produced an ethical honey guide where 22 honey brands are scored on environmental, animal, social and political criteria in the guide.

The guide recommends:

• Buying local honey  – this should be “ideally organic or uncultivated land, where the honey is produced by individual beekepers who practice balanced beekeeping.” The honey guide includes tips on what questions you should be asking to check it's a bee-friendly product.
• Ethical honey – The guide recommends Equal Exchange organic Fairtrade honey (Natural Collection – £4.79) as the Best Buy.

Further reading

• Friend's of the Earth – article about ethical honey
• Ethical Consumer's HONEY – The plight of the overworked honey bee