Is Honey Vegan? Here’s What You Need to Know
Honey. For such a sweet little thing, it sure does create some conflict. The question of whether or not honey is vegan is one that often divides the plant-based community. If you want to form your own decision, you need to learn a little about honey itself, and the industry that supplies it.
Let’s talk definitions
Let’s first take a moment to get nerdy. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, honey is a sweet viscid material elaborated out of the nectar of flowers in the honey sac of various bees. But let’s be honest, no one really understands what that means. In layman’s terms, honey is quite simply the energy source of bees; without it they would starve. The honey bee will visit up to 1500 flowers in order to collect enough nectar to fill its ‘honey stomach’. After returning to the hive, this is regurgitated and chewed by ‘house bees’ to complete the process. The hive works together to provide each bee with an adequate supply of honey, with each bee producing just a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime: far less than you would think. Honey is fundamental to the hive’s wellbeing - they store a portion of it and use it to feed off all year round.
So where does this fit in with the concept of veganism? If we take a strict definition of veganism, it’s pretty clear that honey is not on the list. According to the Vegan Society, veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. It’s quite simply really - veganism means avoiding any products that are created by animals, so in short, the answer is no – honey is not vegan. Yet in my experience, it still tends to be a topic of hot debate, and the answer isn’t always so clear cut.
The differing arguments
Vegans that eat honey and use bee products argue that because honey is made in excess, harvesting it is okay. Many also say that if you continue to kill flies, mosquitos and insects then it is conflicting to hold bees in separate regard. I personally think this becomes a murky subject – the argument as to which animal’s lives are more important is never one you want to get into! There is also the issue that bees pollinate about one third of everything we eat. So it’s a little to tricky to say that honey from a small, ethical beekeeper is less vegan-friendly than the berries, almonds and apples grown with the helping hand of the bees. Now there’s food for thought!
On the flip side, vegans who don’t eat honey argue that the honey industry exploits bees, and that many of the practices used in honey production are unethical. In commercial honey production, the queen bee is often artificially inseminated and has her wings removed to stop her leaving the hive and colonising another one. Beekeepers also often take all the honey instead of just the excess, and replace it instead with a cheap synthetic alternative, allowing them to maximise profits. An issue here is that replacing the bee’s food source makes the bees more prone to damage from pathogens and pesticides. Of course, there is also the issue of communication – any time we utilise animals for human gain without being able to communicate with them and gain their consent, there is an element of exploitation.
The honey debate is a tough one, and it will always be a contentious issue within the vegan community; as with everything else there are always differing arguments and viewpoints for either side. If you are eating honey, it’s important to research where your honey is coming from and to keep away from commercial products. Some beekeepers are ‘balanced’ keepers, which means they only take the honey from the bees when it is in excess. Arguably this is more ethical than commercial production. It’s also good to keep in mind the plethora of vegan alternatives to honey. If you’re wanting a replacement, you can always opt for the following:
Maple syrup
Agave nectar
Molasses
Brown rice syrup
Coconut nectar