Brief description of the organisation/initiative
Bio Products is a small family business producing bio honey and honey products. The idea came from the hobby of Viktor Petroski’s grandfather and later was developed into a business in 1992. Viktor accompanied his grandfather in 2014 and joined the family tradition by introducing some changes, i.e. some new principles for the products to be healthier and better. The company’s products are honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly, and all these products together form the bio-honey, which is the primary and healthiest product. Viktor personally had the most commitment to the application of the principles of organic beekeeping. He engaged in the production of additional products with essential and natural oils only for this purpose.
Challenge overview
During the lockdown and Covid-19 crisis, a challenge for the company was to attract more customers who would be interested in the company’s honey and its products. Not many clients were buying honey during these times. However, with robust marketing and promotion on social media, Viktor managed to maintain its position in the market and prove the quality of its products.
Establishment of the organisation/initiative/enterprise
The idea for the business came from Viktor’s grandfather. He passed it on to his son, who started working in 1992. Then, Viktor joined in 2014. As Viktor had a lot of experience and knowledge about beekeeping from seminars and visiting beekeepers in America and Europe, he added some new things to this concept to make the products fully organic. Viktor is strongly focused on the production of bioproducts and bio honey.
Management structure and governance
Bio Products is a for-profit organisation. Viktor and his coworkers take care of the bees, which produce the honey.
Principles of work, objectives and activities
The beekeeper applies the principles of organic beekeeping. For example, Viktor and his father are engaged in this and produce additional products with essential and natural oils only for this purpose. Many beekeepers, unfortunately, use multiple chemicals for various purposes, including to protect against parasites, ticks, and wasp attacks. To do that, they use inorganic means because they are much cheaper but harmful to the bee and the quality of its products is lost.
Target groups
All ages can taste the natural honey, and the team strongly recommends it. All age groups can benefit from it, especially the joy it brings to the owners when they produce the honey is priceless.
Innovation
Bio Products does not accomplish many outreach campaigns or promote its products online. They are a small business that came to a new level during Covid-19 and managed to build something off of their idea.
Key partners
Bio Products is still very local. They are contacting other beekeepers and have one informal group where they discuss the work or some problems that they are facing.
Impact and Evaluation
The impact is as great as possible because the bee has been declared the most important organism on the planet earth, more important than humans. After all, bees affect the fertilisation and life of all other plant and animal species. Keeping space for its quality of life has a positive effect on all of us. Viktor hopes that in the future, this small business will grow and have a larger number of such healthy products and that more and more people will practice such products.
Recommendations
A healthy body and mindset are what keep us alive. Therefore, it is recommended for everyone to take care of their health by taking healthy products such as homemade honey. Apart from that, it is very educational to learn how to take care of bees and see how they live.
Anyone can adapt this best practice to another country because not every honey is the same in different countries. Every little step taken affects the final product, which is the honey in a jar. Therefore, it is good for people outside of the country to experience the taste and energy of this honey because it is prepared with passion and love. First is for health and better environment and later comes the profit. If the quality of the desired final product is not good, then the profit is not worth it.
Lessons Learned
This business taught Viktor to connect with nature, with the wildlife of the bee because it reflects the wildlife of all animals and plants. Communication with the bee influences the whole being. It changes you as a person, i.e. it builds your life values. In the future, they hope that they will succeed, but it is a greater degree of achievement that takes time to gain that one needs to have a larger number of beehives, for example from 100 to several thousand, which they do not have yet but Viktor is looking at this option for the near future.
References
Bio Products Facebook page.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.