In the summer of 2012 we began working on a new project with Cooperativa Lol-Balché and several other honey cooperatives. This newly formed organization, KANAN HONEY, is one of five established honey cooperatives (60+ beekeepers) in the state of Yucatán, México and interdisciplinary experts led by the Mexico-United States Foundation for the Sciences (FUMEC) to bring KANAN’s world-class Mayan honey direct to the Mexican and international markets. Our goal is for the beekeepers to earn fair market value and a living wage for their honey.
KANAN HONEY (meaning “to care for” in Yucatec Maya) comes from apiaries on indigenous lands in rural Yucatán — renowned for its environmental quality and clean air. Beekeepers learned the beekeeping practice from their parents and grandparents, who learned it from the generations before them. Various developments have helped to create this new organization and now members have access to training in small business development as well as new beekeeping technologies, all the while continuing the Maya tradition of beekeeping.
The product was launched in December 2012 with a small batch of honey. We’re working on revisions now for the next harvest.