Think taking honey from bees is harmless? Think again. Bees make honey, a.k.a. bee vomit, for… wait for it… wait for it… for themselves! Shocking, right? There are essential nutrients packed in honey that helps to build the bees immune system. Which, in turn, helps give them strength to survive harsh weather conditions.
By stealing it for ourselves, we leave the bees in a vulnerable condition by taking their source of energy. Plus, when a beekeeper harvests the honey… some of the bees are killed in the process.
FOR THE HIVES WELL-BEING
According to The Vegan Society,
” After returning to the hive, this is regurgitated and chewed by ‘house bees’ to complete the honey-making process. The hive works as a collective to provide each member with an adequate supply, each bee producing just a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime: significantly less than most people would expect. Honey is fundamental to the hive’s well-being.”
The article goes on to say,
“Conventional beekeepers aim to harvest the maximum amount of honey, with high honey yields being viewed as a mark of success. When farmers remove honey from a hive, they replace it with a sugar substitute which is significantly worse for the bees’ health since it lacks the essential micro-nutrients of honey.
The honey industry, like many other commercial industries, is profit-driven where the welfare of the bees is often secondary to commercial gain.”
ALTERNATIVES
There are many alternatives to honey to chose from. Maple syrup is a favorite, along with agave nectar, molasses, and brown rice syrup to name a few.
Here’s a 5 minute video explaining why honey is not vegan…
ENVIRONMENTAL & FOOD SUPPLY IMPACT
In an article, by Brian Kateman with Fast Company, he states…
“For some, the cruelty inflicted on bees during the honey production process is not a compelling reason to stop consuming honey, because bees are “just insects.” It’s an odd line of reasoning: Regardless of their taxonomic classification, studies have suggested that honeybees may feel pain, and if they do, they are no different in the ways that matter from the pain felt by cows, chickens, pigs, or fish. We may not yet know for certain whether bees feel pain, but given this uncertainty, we have a moral responsibility to behave as though they might.
Moreover, the negative consequences of industrial honey production extend far beyond the bees themselves. The honey industry also exacerbates an existing problem, a rather catastrophic one that has the potential to wreak havoc not only on bees, but on humanity itself.
As environmentalists often note, worldwide bee populations are in decline. Because of the crucial ecological role that bees play in food production, this decline is nothing short of an existential threat to human beings’ long-term food supply. It would be natural to assume that honey farming en masse, by cultivating and maintaining constant populations of honeybees, is part of the solution. But it’s not. In fact, it’s part of the problem.”
The article goes on to recommend,
“No matter the source, reducing or eliminating consumption of honey is still likely the best consumer strategy for alleviating the plight of bees. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up the sticky, sweet stuff: Some companies that sell vegan honey include Blenditup, Skinny Foods, Bee Free Honee, and D’vash Organics.”
See full article here.
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