Q&A: Why Won't Vegans Use Honey?

A common question I have received since being vegan is "What wrong with honey?" followed by "It's not like the bees are being harmed." Before going vegan, I didn't think eating honey was a big deal myself. I have since learned a lot and think very differently.

Veganism is not a diet. It is a lifestyle that takes a stand against using and harming animals in all ways. There are so many terrible things that happen to animals all in the name of a meal that is consumed in 10 minutes. Not to mention fashion, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

The Truth About Honey

• A single bee makes 1/12 a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime. This means it takes 12 bees their entire lives to make just one teaspoon of honey!

  
  

• Honey is food for the bees. They work really hard during the warmer months to make honey so they will have a nutritious food to live off of during the winter months. In commercial operations, honey is often taken from hives and replaced with a cheap sugar syrup that lacks the essential nutrients bees need to thrive.

  
  

• Queen bees are artificially inseminated which is invasive and painful.

  
  

• Bees are frequently injured or killed during during honey extraction and hive inspections.

  
  

• Many queen bees will have their wings clipped to prevent them from leaving the hive.

  
  

• Hives will get killed off once they are no longer profitable.

  
  

To learn more about this and get a better sense of just how terrible all of this is, I highly recommend watching this video by Ed Winters (Earthling Ed).

Honey Alternatives

There are many great substitutes out there to use instead of honey.

• Maple Syrup

• Agave Nectar

• Date Syrup

• Brown Rice Syrup

There are also a variety of recipes online on making bee free honey substitutes.

We live in a different time where we don't need to perpetuate these practices. We have alternatives, so why should we keep harming the bees? Just because things were always done a certain way, doesn't mean they have to stay the same. When we know better, we can do better. The planet is hurting in so many ways right now. I believe that respecting all living beings is a gateway to a kinder, healthier world.