This New Zealand company has saved over 60 million bees
As New Zealand's largest producer of authentic UMF™ certified Mānuka Honey, Comvita has an ambitious goal to be a global leader in natural health and wellbeing using the power of bees, and to also donate 1% of its profits to causes that deliver social and environmental impact around the world.
Comvita's core purpose is to work in harmony with bees and nature to heal and protect the World.
Founded in 1974 by Claude Stratford and Alan Bougen, the company is now the world's leading exporter of Mānuka honey and Propolis. It exports cough syrups, lozenges, olive leaf extract and medical grade Mānuka honey wound care products to markets across Australia, Asia, UK, Europe, the Middle East and America.
At the heart of Comvita's mission is a commitment to protect bees and their ecosystems. It recognises our invaluable partnership with bees and are committed to promoting positive bee welfare outcomes and supporting the growth of bee populations and bee-friendly habitats globally. These efforts are supported by initiatives like the Saving the Wild Beekeeping Project. This programme helps restore natural habitats and ecosystem balance in Africa by strategically placing hives along wildlife corridors and training local communities in beekeeping practices.
Comvita sources its genuine, UMF™ certified Mānuka Honey from approximately 20,000 hives across New Zealand. The UMF™ certification verifies the honey's authenticity, potency, purity, and freshness. Additionally, the honey is GMO-free, traceable from hive to shelf, and sustainably sourced.
The company’s sustainability strategy includes a focus on climate action – reducing carbon emissions and increasing carbon removals through the Mānuka trees it has planted and is also committed to science-based reduction targets.
Since 2017, Comvita has planted 15 Mānuka forests, covering 6,300 hectares across the North Island alongside the 40,000 native trees on its campus in Paengaroa, Bay of Plenty.
Their planting programme helps support improved biological diversity, water quality, soil health, and flood resilience in remote areas of New Zealand. It also has nearly 1,000 solar panels supplying power to their facilities and donate 1% of profits to charities like Saving the Wild, Save the Kiwi and Garden to Table.
Comvita invests millions of dollars per annum in its research and development programme, including clinical trials undertaken with some of the world’s leading Universities. Its global scientific advisory board includes some of the world’s leading gastroenterologists - clinical experts on gut health.
In 2024 Comvita, in collaboration with the High Value Nutrition National Science Challenge and researchers from the University of Otago, presented preliminary results from its first Clinical Trial of Comvita Lepteridine® Mānuka honey which showed that more than half of the people treated experienced a clinically meaningful improvement in their digestive health symptoms and 71% of those treated with the highest dose reporting more than a 40% improvement. Further analysis of the data from this Clinical Trial is ongoing.
Comvita is also investigating the potential of Mānuka honey in alleviating atopic dermatitis (eczema) and combating antimicrobial-resistant lung infections in individuals with cystic fibrosis.
Recently, Comvita's dedication to people and the planet was further cemented by achieving B Corp certification across its global business. This globally recognised sustainability certification requires Comvita to meet high social and environmental performance standards across areas like employee benefits, charitable giving, supply chain practices, and packaging circularity.
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