The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is a social insect that has been managed by humans for thousands of years, primarily for honey production. A single colony can contain 20,000 to 80,000 bees working collectively to convert flower nectar into honey, which they store in hexagonal wax cells as a long-term energy reserve.
Honey has been used as a sweetener and preservative since ancient times — evidence of beekeeping dates back to at least 2400 BCE in Egypt. Beyond honey, bees produce beeswax comb, propolis, royal jelly, and bee pollen, all of which have food or traditional-use applications. However, honey remains by far the most commercially significant product.
Australia has a substantial beekeeping industry, with honey produced from native eucalyptus, banksia, and other flora giving Australian honeys distinctive flavour profiles. The country is also one of the last regions free of the Varroa destructor mite, though this status is under increasing threat. Honey bees also play a critical role in agriculture through pollination services, which in economic terms often exceeds the value of the honey itself.
How it's produced
Honey bees are kept in managed hives, typically consisting of stacked wooden boxes fitted with removable frames on which bees build their comb. Beekeepers place hives near flowering plants and may move them seasonally to follow blooms — a practice called migratory beekeeping. The bees forage within a radius of several kilometres, collecting nectar and pollen from flowers.
Honey is harvested by removing frames from the hive, uncapping the wax seal on the cells, and extracting the honey using a centrifuge. The honey is then strained and bottled, often with minimal processing. Honeycomb can be sold intact as comb honey. In Australia, both commercial operations running thousands of hives and small-scale hobbyist beekeepers contribute to production. Australian beekeeping has historically relied heavily on access to native forests and bush for floral resources.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for other red meat, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
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