Why Honey Bees Matter

It’s no secret we’ve got a sweet spot for honey. You’ll find it in some of your favorite Kodiak products — like our OG Buttermilk & Honey Flapjack & Waffle Mix. But behind every golden drizzle is a hive of bees working tirelessly to support our food system and now, they could use a little support from us. 

Here’s the buzz: honey bees are responsible for pollinating more than 35% of the foods we eat (FAO, 2018). From the apples in our oatmeal to the blueberries in our muffin cups, bees help bring color, flavor, and variety to our plates. Their honey is not just a sweetener—it’s a powerhouse of flavor and function. 

In fact, honey bees pollinate more than 90 different crops, so without them, our grocery carts (and the Kodiak lineup) would look a whole lot less exciting. It’s wild to think just how connected we are to honey bees! 

Unfortunately, bees have been facing some major headwinds lately. Between habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and weather change, they’ve got a lot on their plate. According to the USDA, U.S. beekeepers lost nearly half of their colonies between April 2022 and April 2023. 

So, what can we do about it? 

You don’t need to be a beekeeper to make a difference. Small actions can have a big impact: 

• Plant native wildflowers: Bees need nectar-rich food, especially in urban areas. 
• Skip the sprays: Avoid pesticides and herbicides in your garden. 
• Leave the weeds: Dandelions and clover are some of bees’ favorite snacks. 
• Support local beekeepers: Buy local honey when you can. 
• Make a bee bath: A shallow water dish with stones gives bees a safe place to hydrate. 
• Choose “made-with-honey” foods: Especially when they’re thoughtfully crafted with ingredients that support the environment. 

Honey is so much more than just a sweetener. It’s a naturally occurring blend of carbohydrates, antioxidants, acids, prebiotics, vitamins, and minerals—crafted by bees, collected by beekeepers, and delivered to your pantry. 

At Kodiak, we use honey not just for its deep, floral sweetness and subtle tang, but because it's a better-for-you ingredient that helps us stay true to our brand by crafting real food made with real ingredients. And beyond flavor, using honey supports an ecosystem that we adventure in. Bees pollinate one in every three bites of food we eat, yet their populations are in decline due to habitat loss, pesticides, and weather extremes (The Bee Conservancy; FAO, 2023). By choosing honey, we’re helping protect pollinators—and the future of our food system. 

We’ve been sweet on honey for a while now. It shows up in some of our most-loved products, and we continue to use it because it’s what you love—and it's a small way we can show some love to those hardworking honey bees. But we also love what it represents: a connection to the environment, a nod to tradition, and a touch of wild flavor. 

We’re especially excited about one of our newest products that launched in early 2025: Honey Oat Granola. It’s a crunchy, golden reminder of how great honey can be—both in flavor and function. 

Here’s a list of some other Kodiak favorites that feature honey: 

• Buttermilk & Honey Flapjack & Waffle Mix 
• Blueberry Muffin Power Cup 
• Blueberry & Maple Flapjack Power Cup 
• Cinnamon & Maple Flapjack Power Cup 
• Honey Oat Granola 

✨Bonus✨ Bears love honey too—it’s packed with nutrients and totally worth climbing a tree for. 🐻 

Supporting honey bees isn’t just good for the planet—it’s essential to the future of food. At Kodiak, we’re proud to play a small part in a much bigger movement, and we hope you’ll join us by choosing honey and made-with-honey products all year round. 

Let’s keep the buzz going. 🐝 

Sources: 

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2023). Declining bee populations pose threat to global food security and nutrition. 
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2018). Pollinators vital to our food supply under threat. 
• The Bee Conservancy. Why Bees Matter.