This is part of The Honey Guide.
10 min read
When you see an organic label on a jar of honey, it is natural to assume that all organic labels mean roughly the same thing. They do not. The word "organic" can refer to a legal minimum set by a government regulator, or it can refer to a significantly more demanding private standard chosen voluntarily by a producer who wants to go further than the law requires. Bioland is the second kind and understanding the difference matters when you are choosing what to put in your family's food.
This article explains what Bioland certification actually requires, how it differs from the EU Organic baseline, and why Hexapi works exclusively with Bioland-certified beekeepers rather than simply meeting the EU minimum.
The certification landscape - three levels you should know
Before going into Bioland specifically, it helps to understand that organic certification in Germany operates in layers.
Level 1: The EU Organic Regulation is the legal foundation.
Any product sold as organic within the European Union must meet these minimum standards, enforced by EU law and monitored by accredited national certification bodies. In Germany, one of the most rigorous of these is DE-ÖKO-006, the certifier whose mark appears on every Hexapi jar. EU Organic certification is mandatory for any legitimate organic product sold in Europe. It is the floor.
Level 2: The German national organic seal (Bio-Siegel).
It sits directly on top of EU Organic and signals compliance with German federal organic law, which in some areas adds requirements beyond the EU baseline. It is automatically awarded to any product that meets EU Organic standards and is sold in Germany. It does not go significantly further than EU Organic in practice.
Level 3: Private association certifications.
Demeter, Bioland, Naturland are what food writers and quality-conscious consumers refer to when they say "organic plus." These associations place much stricter requirements on organic farming than the EU standard requires and promote a more sustainable and holistic view of agriculture, from biodiversity to natural plant protection, organic fertilisation methods, soil fertility, and social responsibility including fair remuneration and regional economic cycles. They are voluntary, and they require EU Organic certification as a prerequisite not a substitute.
EU organic certification is in fact a requirement for Bioland inspection since Bioland's requirements go beyond those of the EU organic regulation, Bioland certification is effectively an upgrade on top of an already-certified product.
This is part of The Honey Guide.
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