I have to admit when I first went vegan I hadn't considered honey and didn't know where I stood on using it. I like many people thought that if the bees weren't hurt or treated cruelly like in the dairy and meat industry maybe it was OK for vegans to use. However I did some research and decided to avoid it in food and cosmetics as I think being a vegan means avoiding all animal products.
Although some people don't see the problem with using honey. So here's a few reasons why as a vegan you should be avoiding it.
- Bees make honey for themselves. It is not natural the way humans have turned them into honey making machines. By taking the honey which bees naturally produce you are taking their food source which they would otherwise have used for winter.
- Some bees are killed in the harvesting of honey. This isn't intentional but a bad result of the process. So much for humans protecting bees by bee keeping.
- Honey is a commodity, it is sold for human consumption. The bees are being used as part of a business so if you don't believe in exploiting any living creatures it's best to avoid honey.
- Bees are vital to the pollination of crops. They do need to be protected but taking their honey doesn't have to be part of the process.
There are many reasons to avoid honey. I think if you are vegan or going vegan the simple thing to do is avoid all animal/insect related products and by-products. Also there are so many alternatives from agave nectar to maple syrup it's easy to replace.
Check out the alternative: http://vegoutveganguide.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/agave-nectar-vegan-alternative-to-honey.html
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