The corporate information above reflects current NZX and company data available in 2026.21

Origins: 1974

Comvita traces its beginnings to 1974, when beekeeper Claude Stratford and entrepreneur and beekeeper Alan Bougen established the business in New Zealand. Their founding idea was that natural products—particularly those from bees—could contribute to people’s health and wellbeing.1

The company’s early identity was closely connected with beekeeping rather than conventional pharmaceutical manufacturing. Bees, honey, and other hive products became the foundation for product development.

Comvita’s own history describes its early home in Paengaroa, in the Bay of Plenty, as a community centred on working with and learning from nature.3

International expansion

Comvita gradually moved beyond the New Zealand market. According to NZX company analysis, exports to England and California began in 1989, while the company subsequently restructured and increased its focus on Asian markets.2

This international expansion helped transform Mānuka honey from a relatively specialised New Zealand product into a globally recognised premium wellness item.

Public company

Comvita eventually became a publicly traded company. It was first listed on the New Zealand market in November 2003 and is now traded as Comvita Limited (NZX: CVT).2

Today, Comvita operates internationally, with operations spanning New Zealand, Australia, China, North America, Southeast Asia, and Europe.2

Mānuka honey is the product most strongly associated with Comvita.

Mānuka is a native New Zealand plant, and bees collect nectar from its flowers to produce Mānuka honey. Comvita has positioned this honey as a premium, scientifically tested natural product, rather than simply as ordinary table honey.

One of the defining features of Comvita’s Mānuka range is its use of the UMF™ (Unique Mānuka Factor) quality system.

Comvita’s products include different UMF ratings such as:

• UMF 5+
• UMF 10+
• UMF 15+
• UMF 18+
• UMF 20+

The company also displays corresponding MGO (methylglyoxal) levels on its products. For example, its current product range lists UMF 10+ at MGO 263+ and UMF 15+ at MGO 514+.1

Importantly, UMF and MGO are not simply “strength” ratings in the everyday sense. They are different ways of characterising the properties, authenticity, and quality of Mānuka honey. The UMF system is associated with independently tested and certified Mānuka honey.

Comvita states that its UMF Mānuka honey is traceable from hive to shelf, with sourcing from New Zealand beekeepers and production regions across New Zealand.12

Comvita has built its brand around several key concepts:

New Zealand origin

New Zealand is central to Comvita’s identity. The company emphasises the country’s natural environment and its native Mānuka plant as key parts of its product story.

Beekeeping heritage

Unlike companies that entered the honey market purely as food brands, Comvita’s origins are directly connected to beekeeping.

The company says it currently manages more than 30,000 hives and maintains relationships with beekeepers across New Zealand.1

Traceability

Comvita emphasises a “hive to shelf” approach, allowing its Mānuka honey to be traced back to its source. This is particularly important in the premium Mānuka market, where authenticity and origin are major selling points.1

Scientific testing

Comvita has invested in scientific research and laboratory testing around bee products, Mānuka honey, propolis, Mānuka trees, and bee welfare. The company says its laboratory is government-recognised and accredited.2

Although Mānuka honey is Comvita’s signature product, the company is considerably broader than a honey producer.

Mānuka honey

This is Comvita’s flagship category.

Products include different UMF grades and package sizes, ranging from everyday Mānuka honey to high-UMF premium products.

The company’s current international product range includes UMF 5+, 10+, 15+, 18+, and higher-strength products, as well as multifloral Mānuka honey.1

In the Philippines, Comvita’s current product catalogue includes UMF 5+, 10+, 15+, 18+, and 20+ products.3

Bee propolis

Propolis is another major part of Comvita’s heritage.

Propolis is a resinous substance collected and processed by honeybees and used within the hive. Comvita turns it into consumer products such as:

• Propolis oral sprays
• Propolis herbal products
• Other propolis-based wellness products

Its product portfolio specifically identifies Bee Propolis as one of its major collections.1

Mānuka honey lozenges and drops

Comvita also combines Mānuka honey with convenient formats such as:

• Lozenges
• Honey drops
• Children’s soothing products
• Gummies

These products allow the brand to move beyond selling honey in jars and into the broader everyday wellness market.3

Olive leaf extract

Another part of Comvita’s portfolio is olive leaf extract.

This product is not derived from bees. Comvita operates an olive-leaf farming operation in Australia and produces extract from fresh-picked olive leaves. The company markets the ingredient primarily around antioxidant and general wellness positioning.1

Comvita occupies a distinctive position between several industries:

Food → Natural health → Wellness → Premium honey → Functional/natural products

Rather than competing primarily with inexpensive supermarket honey, Comvita generally positions itself as a premium wellness brand.

Its branding relies heavily on four themes:

New Zealand + Nature + Bees + Science

This combination is significant because the company sells more than the taste of honey; it sells the perceived value of New Zealand origin, Mānuka authenticity, beekeeping expertise, quality testing, and natural wellness.

Understanding Comvita requires distinguishing between UMF and MGO.

UMF

UMF (Unique Mānuka Factor) is a certification and quality-assurance system used for genuine Mānuka honey. Comvita describes UMF as a quality standard that verifies characteristics including authenticity and Mānuka-specific compounds.3

MGO

MGO (methylglyoxal) is a naturally occurring compound used as one of the important markers associated with Mānuka honey.

Generally, higher-numbered Mānuka products command higher prices because they contain higher measured levels of MGO and are positioned as more premium products.

For example, Comvita currently lists:

1

Consumers should not interpret these ratings as a simple medical “effectiveness score”. They are primarily quality and composition measures used to characterise Mānuka honey.

Sustainability is an important part of Comvita’s corporate identity.

The company’s environmental approach centres on the idea that its business depends on a healthy ecosystem. Bees require healthy flowering plants, biodiversity, and suitable habitats, while Mānuka honey production depends on healthy Mānuka landscapes.

Comvita says it has planted millions of native trees and works on biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, and carbon-emissions reduction.2

The company was also certified as a B Corporation in 2023. B Corp certification is designed for companies assessed against social and environmental standards that seek to balance commercial performance with broader stakeholder considerations.2

Bees are fundamental to Comvita’s supply chain rather than merely a marketing symbol.

Background information in the company’s 2025 annual report described its global operations as being connected to more than 1.6 billion bees, alongside a workforce of more than 550 people at that reporting date.2

The company’s model can broadly be represented as:

Mānuka trees → Bees → Beekeepers → Honey → Testing & certification → Comvita products → Global consumers

This supply chain structure underpins Comvita’s emphasis on traceability and beekeeper relationships.

Comvita has increasingly positioned itself as a company combining traditional natural products with modern science.

Its research interests include:

• Mānuka trees
• Mānuka honey
• Propolis
• Bee welfare
• Honey quality
• Natural ingredients
• Sustainable sourcing

The company says it seeks to understand natural ingredients rather than artificially alter them, while using testing and verification to establish quality.2

This scientific focus differentiates the brand from purely traditional or “alternative medicine” companies.

Although Comvita remains strongly associated with New Zealand, it is an international business.

Its reported operations include:

• New Zealand
• Australia
• China
• North America
• Southeast Asia
• Europe

2

Asia has been particularly important in the development of the international Mānuka honey market. Comvita’s history notes that the company shifted its strategic focus toward Asian export markets after its earlier expansion into England and California.2

The brand is sold in the Philippines, where its local product portfolio focuses heavily on UMF Mānuka honey, propolis, and honey-based wellness products.3

Comvita operates as Comvita Limited and is a publicly traded New Zealand company.

Its stock-market information is:

• NZX: CVT
• Exchange: New Zealand Exchange (NZX)
• First listed: 14 November 2003

Current NZX information lists Bridget Coates as Chairperson and Karl Gradon as Chief Executive Officer.2

As a publicly listed entity, Comvita publishes annual reports, financial statements, climate disclosures, and other market announcements.

Comvita has undergone a period of strategic change in the mid-2020s. NZX records show that the company was undertaking a turnaround in 2026, with its February 2026 half-year results describing a return to profitability and positive operating cash flow.2

Corporate announcements also indicate significant activity around capital raising, refinancing, and changes to the board and executive team during 2026.2

While Comvita remains a major Mānuka brand, it continues to manage the financial, operational, and strategic challenges of running a global consumer-products company.

Summarised as a brand rather than a corporation, Comvita’s identity can be described as:

Premium New Zealand natural wellness built around the power of bees, Mānuka honey, science, and environmental stewardship.

Its strongest brand assets are:

• 🇳🇿 New Zealand provenance
• 🐝 Beekeeping heritage
• 🍯 Mānuka honey expertise
• 🔬 Scientific testing and quality assurance
• 🌿 Natural ingredients
• 🌏 Sustainability and biodiversity
• 🏆 Premium positioning
• 🧪 UMF/MGO quality systems

A useful way to understand Comvita is to compare it with a conventional honey company.

Consequently, Comvita is better understood as a natural-health and wellness company centred on Mānuka honey, rather than simply a honey producer.

Comvita has become one of the best-known companies associated with the global commercialisation of New Zealand Mānuka honey.

Its significance stems from several factors:

1. Longevity — it has been developing bee-based products since 1974.
2. Specialisation — Mānuka honey remains at the heart of its brand.
3. Internationalisation — it helped bring New Zealand bee products to consumers around the world.
4. Certification and traceability — UMF and source traceability are central to its premium positioning.
5. Product diversification — it has expanded into propolis, lozenges, gummies, and other wellness products.
6. Environmental positioning — bees, native plants, biodiversity, and sustainable sourcing are integrated into its corporate narrative.
7. Scientific approach — it invests in testing and research rather than relying exclusively on traditional-health messaging.

1. The Story of Comvita – Comvita Mānuka Honey
2. Announcement ⬩ Comvita Limited – Annual Report 2025 ⬩ NZX, New Zealand’s Exchange
3. Comvita New Zealand Purest Manuka Honey | Comvita Philippines