Manuka Honey Chances are if you live near the coast in Australia your honey is already Manuka Honey. The above map is an indication of where they are finding active Manuka honey around Australia. Manuka honey is derived from the Leptospermum tree that is native to New Zealand and Australia. In Victoria we call this tree tea. Australia is home to 83 species of Leptospermum and each state and territory has at least one endemic species. The indigenous people from both lands have been using Manuka in their traditional medicines for centuries. The antibacterial strength of Manuka honey is mainly tested for commercially competitive reasons. It's been well known for centuries that raw honey has healing benefits. New Zealand invested heavily in science to investigate the healing properties resulting in a niche brand. Manuka in New Zealand wholesales at $80kg. The high prices has caused calamity in New Zealand. Vandalism, theft and bee diseases have been rife. Five times the amount of Manuka produced in New Zealand is exported as Manuka. Manuka mostly is a fraud. Sourcing local raw honey is the solution. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/10938108/Manuka-honey-fraud-what-else-is-fake-in-our-food.html Corporation Capilano Ltd has moved in purchasing existing apiaries around New Zealand and Australia, endeavouring to monopolise the market and export this antibacterial honey to Asia. Bees need a variety of nutrition and in the pursuit of purity often bees will be malnourished on some planted-out Manuka crops. It is wise not to force bees on to monocultures. Bees don't respond well to greed. A wise beekeeper will have a symbiotic relationship with their bees and won't force their bees to forage on Manuka. Bees are our doctors: Everything they produce is our medicine . The word 'medicine' is derived from the Latin word 'medi' which means honey. It is the poor and the elderly that could most utilise the benefits of medicinal raw honey, not wealthy people with vanity issues. We want Australian families and bees to benefit from local honey. We have seen how dairy farmers have become victims to corporate greed and we don't want Australian honey producing families affected in the same way. http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-06/milk-price-cut-leaves-farmers-'owing'-hundreds-of-thousands/7386664 If consumers buy directly from the beekeepers we can cut out margins for corporations like Capilano and Woolworths. There is no reason for Capilano Ltd and Woolworths to import any honey. Why should the poor have to consume inferior honey from China like Allowrie while wealthy people overseas consume Australia's forest honey. Those polluting the planet don't deserve the planet's medicine. If the Chinese demand clean honey they should work on cleaning their environment. Don't be fooled: This TPP agreement is bad news. The food miles honey is doing is ridiculous at a time when carbon emission risks our existence. Support your local beekeeper. Use the honeymap. https://goo.gl/5Av8vo heat should be kept to a minimum, not exceeding 45c The antibacterial strength of Manuka honey can be tested for and is often shown eg. NPA 10+; UMF® 10+; MGO 263+). For commercially competitive reasons.