What’s the carbon footprint of honey?
Oh, honey! Whether you like to add a teaspoon to tea or enjoy spread it on toast, honey is a well-loved natural sweetener with many health benefits. Let’s find out the carbon footprint of honey and where it comes from.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”72%” width_tablet=”72%” width_phone=”85%” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”7px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.20.2″ text_font=”||||||||” link_font_size=”20px” link_line_height=”2.3em” header_font=”||||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_line_height=”3.3em” header_2_line_height=”1.1em” header_3_text_color=”#F70B8B” header_3_font_size=”30px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” header_font_size_tablet=”40px” header_font_size_phone=”35px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” header_3_font_size__hover_enabled=”off|desktop”]Carbon Footprint of Honey
Let’s compare the carbon footprint of honey to other sweeteners.
A tablespoon of honey produces 34g CO₂e*
That’s…
143% more than maple syrup
325% more than sugar
*CO₂e means carbon dioxide equivalent and measures total greenhouse gases
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="1_2" _builder_version="4.20.2" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_image src="http://thefloopapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/carbon-footprint-honey.webp" alt="A purple footprint with 80g demonstrates the carbon footprint of honey. A honeycomb sits to the left of it." title_text="carbon-footprint-honey" align="center" _builder_version="4.20.2" _module_preset="default" max_width="62%" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.20.2" _module_preset="default" custom_padding="||27px|||" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.20.2" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.20.2" _module_preset="default" header_4_text_color="#F70B8B" global_colors_info="{}"]Get the Floop app and discover the carbon footprint of even more ingredients
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-1px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”|||3px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” header_3_font_size=”20px” custom_padding=”|26px||2px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Where does the carbon footprint of honey come from?
Honey production, processing, packaging, and transportation affect the overall carbon footprint of honey. Life cycle assessments highlight the climate impact at each stage.
Pesticides & medication
Making honey involves living animals. Disease and invasive species are managed by honey producers, which means using chemicals for pest control and medication. Creating these chemicals often comes with a significant carbon footprint.
Processing
Large, specialist machines are used in commercial honey production. These machines uncap wax and extract honey from honeycombs, and heat, pasteurise, filter and cream honey. They are energy-intensive, causing greenhouse gas emissions when powered without renewable energy. Smaller-scale businesses tend to process honey less and have a smaller carbon footprint.
Additives
Many “honey” products in your supermarket are not 100% pure honey. Honey products often contain added sugar, corn syrup or rapeseed oil. These ingredients all have their own carbon footprint which is added to honey’s carbon footprint.
Transport
The majority of honey in British supermarkets is imported. Honey is transported for thousands of miles via plane, ship or truck, with emissions from these vehicles increasing honey’s carbon footprint.
Where does honey come from?
Honey is made by bees and bees collect nectar from plants. After drinking the nectar, bees’ bodies break down the nectar into simple sugars using enzymes. Honeybees are found all over the world, so, honey can be made all over the world.
There are many honey producers in the UK and you’ll even find people in your local area making and selling honey. But roughly 90% of honey eaten in the UK is imported. As of 2020, most honey was imported from New Zealand, China, and Poland.
It’s possible to keep bee hives in your own garden to make honey, too. Your bees will collect pollen and nectar from your local area creating honey with a unique colour and flavour to where you live.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”97.3%” custom_padding=”|||0px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Are there other ways honey impacts the environment?
Honeybees have both positive and negative impacts on the environment.
Commercial honey operations, even small ones, put pressure on wild bee species that are already declining for other reasons. This is because honey bees compete with wild bees for food and resources, often with the wild species losing out. This disrupts ecosystems and threatens biodiversity.
However, honeybees can reduce the need for artificial fertilisers. Honeybees pollinate crops as they move through plants to find nectar and naturally fertilise crops. This reduces the harmful impacts of fertilisers on the environment, like soil degradation and water contamination.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Tips for choosing more sustainable honey
You can still enjoy honey as part of a sustainable diet. Here are our tips for choosing more sustainable honey.
- Buy local. Look for honey produced by local beekeepers who stay updated with sustainable and ethical practices. They will use less processing and will have a lower transport footprint. You may find these sellers at the side of a road in rural areas or in farm shops.
- Choose 100% raw honey. Raw honey hasn’t been heated, meaning a smaller carbon footprint. It’s often more flavourful and full of antioxidants too. Check the ingredients for 100% honey too; it should’t include sugar, corn syrup or oils.
Sustainable substitutes for honey
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Maple syrup has half the carbon footprint of honey yet is also a natural and unrefined sweetener. Maple syrup has an animal-free production method making it vegan-friendly too. Try maple syrup in our Easy Chocolate Mousse.