SearchAotea Gifts recognises that sustainability as a business requires an ongoing balance between people, planet and profit.
Most of our products are based on renewable, locally sourced raw materials and whilst currently few wholesalers have formal sustainability certification, Aotea Gifts prioritises wholesalers who are willing to work with us on sustainability.
The 'Naturally New Zealand' concept is at the heart of Aotea Gifts and we remain committed to bringing you the very best Naturally New Zealand products.
Manuka Honey Benefits: Regenerative Effects
Manuka honey has important carbon positive and biodiversity regenerating benefits.
Honey-producing bees are the main way plants are pollinated. One in every three bites of food we eat is the result of animal pollination. Examples include fruits such as strawberries, apples and figs, seeds such as beans and sunflower kernels, and nuts such as walnuts and chestnuts. Even salad vegetables need pollination to grow. In New Zealand we grow fruit such as kiwifruit, apples and grapes, as well as seed crops.
The Western honeybee, an introduced species of honeybee, is used for much of the commercial pollination in New Zealand.
Many New Zealand dairy farms have planted Manuka on riparian margins (land adjacent to streams) to prevent erosion and improve water quality in streams and rivers, and as the benefits of Manuka honey have become more widely known, large areas are being planted with Manuka to act as nurseries for the regeneration of New Zealand's forests and the biodiversity they support.
Many new forest areas created for manuka are making a significant contribution to New Zealand's carbon benefits.
Possum knitwear: regenerative
Possums, which are used in New Zealand knitwear, are considered pests in New Zealand. Possums are an invasive species and have no natural predators, so there are huge numbers of them throughout New Zealand, and they are known to kill New Zealand's native birds and their eggs. They also eat a large amount of forest plants and vegetation, causing permanent damage to the ecosystem and having a significant impact on carbon positivity.
1 Possum damage to punga trees in New Zealand
Each piece of Possum knitwear contains the fur of up to three possums. By removing possums to make knitwear, around 150 trees are saved each year. Using possum hair in knitwear is an important way of maintaining and regenerating New Zealand's forests and native birds.
Link: 7 Amazing Facts You Should Know About Possums
