Comvita’s Harmony Plan for People, Bees, and Biodiversity

Restoring Balance: Comvita’s Harmony Plan for People, Bees, and Biodiversity

Every year on International Biodiversity Day, we’re reminded of nature’s incredible resilience — and our responsibility to protect it. At Comvita, this isn’t just something we think about once a year. It’s woven into everything we do.

Rooted in the Māori value of Kaitiakitanga (guardianship), our commitment to nature is guided by a simple but powerful belief: that healing the planet starts with working in harmony with it. From the bees we care for to the forests we plant, Comvita’s Harmony Plan is our blueprint for regenerating the land, restoring ecosystems, and giving back more than we take.

Planting the Seeds of Regeneration

Our journey toward ecological balance begins with the land. Since 2017, Comvita has planted nearly 8 million native Mānuka seedlings, transforming over 6,000 hectares of former pasture into vibrant, regenerating native forest across Aotearoa New Zealand.

But these aren’t just forests — they’re ecosystems in the making.

Mānuka is a natural pioneer species, helping to stabilize soil, improve freshwater quality, and support the return of native flora and fauna. These forests are left to grow undisturbed, allowing nature to reclaim her space. In turn, they’ve helped sequester over 120,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, making them powerful allies in the fight against climate change.

Measuring What Matters

We know that planting trees is just the beginning. What really matters is the long-term impact — on ecosystems, wildlife, and the land itself. That’s why we partnered with Plant & Food Research and the University of Auckland to develop a pioneering Ecological Impact Monitoring (EIM) Tool.

This tool gives us a holistic, science-based way to track the health of our forests over time. We measure indicators like: water quality in nearby streams, diversity of birds, bats, and invertebrates, forest growth and soil health, and presence of native and invasive species.

Early results are incredibly encouraging. Our Mānuka forests are already showing greater native bird diversity, insect populations similar to mature forest, and even the presence of critically endangered long-tailed bats. Streams flowing through these rewilded areas are healthier and more biodiverse than those surrounded by pasture — clear signs that nature is returning.

What makes biodiversity so powerful is its ability to heal — not just nature, but communities and climate too. That’s why we’re building this as a long-term, year-on-year ecological monitoring program, tracking how Comvita Mānuka forests evolve and support life over time.

Each year, our forests are surveyed across four key domains:

• Freshwater health
• Ecosystem function
• Ecological diversity
• Forest growth and maturity

The goal is a living, growing record of restoration — proof that what we plant today will protect tomorrow.

Protecting the Heartbeat of Aotearoa

Of all the taonga (treasures) in New Zealand’s biodiversity, few are as iconic — or as vulnerable — as the Kiwi. With fewer than 70,000 left in the wild, these flightless birds face an uphill battle against introduced predators.

Since 2021, we’ve partnered with Save the Kiwi to help turn the tide. At our Blue Sky Station — where over 620,000 Mānuka trees have been planted — we’ve introduced predator management across 1,600 hectares, with more than 110 traps in place to create a safer kiwi habitat. Our staff now take part in annual kiwi call surveys, trained by experts from our partners at Save the Kiwi, to measure the number of kiwi that live and return to the land that we are regenerating. Together, we’re helping create a safe haven where Kiwi can not only survive — but thrive.

Rebuilding After the Storm

In early 2024, Cyclone Gabrielle devastated parts of Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay. As part of the recovery, we donated 15,390 Mānuka seedlings to help local communities restore their land. These trees are now growing on 12 properties, helping to stabilize hillsides, prevent erosion, and welcome back native biodiversity.

It’s another example of how nature, given the right support, can bounce back stronger than before.

From Aotearoa to Africa: Biodiversity Without Borders

Our work doesn’t stop at New Zealand’s shores. In 2020, Comvita became a proud partner of Saving the Wild, supporting a unique beekeeping initiative in Kenya’s Kimana Wildlife Corridor, part of the greater Amboseli-Tsavo-Kilimanjaro ecosystem.

Here, the bees do more than pollinate. 200 beehives placed across the corridor serve a dual purpose: protecting critical wildlife pathways from development and creating economic opportunity for the local Maasai community. Profits from the honey fund education for women and children while strengthening a vital connection between people, pollinators, and the planet.

Working in Harmony With Nature

At Comvita, restoring balance isn’t a campaign — it’s a commitment. From the Central Plateau to Kenya’s savannahs, we’re working hand-in-hand with nature to regenerate ecosystems, empower communities, and build a more biodiverse future.

Because when bees thrive, forests flourish. When Kiwi return, the land is healing. And when we walk gently with nature, nature gives back tenfold.

This International Biodiversity Day, we invite you to join us — as guardians, as storytellers, and as champions of biodiversity. Together, we can restore balance.

Want to learn more or get involved?

Visit comvita.co.nz/sustainability and explore the Harmony Plan.