Why don’t vegans eat honey?
For some reason, there is a small subset of “vegans” who think it’s ok to eat honey. Yes, I put the word vegan in quotes because if you’re eating honey, you’re not vegan. Read the definition of veganism if you need to understand why that is. But I wrote this article anyway to explain some of the specifics.
The obvious reason honey isn’t vegan is because it comes from an animal, so by definition, it’s not. But on top of that, you should be aware of how bees are treated in the honey industry to also understand the cruelty aspects:
The queen’s wings are often clipped to prevent her from flying away. This is amputation. I know I wouldn’t want part of my body amputated, would you?
The bees are often killed after honey production because it's more cost-effective than keeping them around until the next season. Killing animals isn’t vegan
The honey extraction process can physically harm the bees, such as damaging or even tearing off their wings and legs
Queens bees are often impregnated via artificial insemination against their will
Beekeepers crush drones to death to extract their sperm to artificially inseminate the queen
When beekeepers remove honey from a hive, they replace it with a sugar substitute that is worse for the bees’ health
Bees make honey for them to eat, not for us to eat. Why should we steal their food?
Honey is an animal product just like meat, dairy, and eggs. Eating it is not vegan. I don’t care if it’s local honey from your neighbor who absolutely loves their bees and takes great care of them and doesn’t do any of the things mentioned above. It’s still an animal product, you’re still taking something from an animal that isn’t yours to take, and you’re still commodifying and exploiting an animal for your benefit. That’s what makes honey not vegan.
