Can vegans eat honey? The short answer is no. The better answer may not be so clear. A lot of people have written about this, certainly more thoroughly than I will. But the ethics of beekeeping is a topic I ponder, so here are my thoughts.
First, I am a vegetarian. Not a vegan—I eat cheese and occasionally eggs. But I haven’t eaten meat (on purpose) for almost a decade. I don’t avoid meat for health reasons, but rather out of my own sense of morality. I believe animals have value extending beyond my dinner plate. That’s my personal belief. I don’t make it a big part of my existence, I don’t bring it up in casual conversation, and I don’t look down on meat eaters. I also don’t scoff at the vegan lifestyle. On the contrary, I think vegans are trying to do the right thing the same way I’m trying—maybe better than I am. All that being said, I only mention my vegetarianism in order to provide context to my views on the consumption of honey.
At the most basic level, honey is an animal product, and vegans don’t eat animal products. So case closed, vegans aren’t allowed eat honey and still call themselves vegans. But nuance often complicates even simple questions.
Honey can be humane, if not technically vegan
As a beekeeper and an animal welfare advocate, I want my bees to live comfortably—happily if it’s possible for an insect—and die naturally and peacefully. I spend a lot of time, sweat, and money trying to ensure my bees have good lives, wanting of nothing and free from suffering. I do this because I genuinely care about them. I grimace watching videos of commercial beekeeping operations, where hives appear to be handled with little regard for bee safety. I understand why commercial operators have to work quickly and (in my view) recklessly—honey has been so devalued by [adulterated Chinese] imports that US beekeepers have to manage a huge number of hives with killer efficiency to meet the ludicrous prices demanded by big retailers—it’s all about volume. I couldn’t be that kind of beekeeper, but I understand their dilemma. Conversely, my careful inefficiency makes for high-quality, expensive honey (more expensive than I sell it for). But more importantly to me is that people can enjoy the honey knowing my bees were treated as humanely as possible.
Gently handling a honey bee
I do kill bees. To a fault I try to avoid it, but it’s impossible not to smash some while re-assembling a boiling-over mid-summer hive. I tell them I’m sorry each time, and every time it makes me a little sad. If I accidentally hurt a bee without killing her, I’ll try to put her out of her misery quickly. I do not take their deaths lightly, but I know the hive manipulations I’m performing are for the greater good of each colony. Without my intervention, there would be unneeded suffering due to diseases, pests, and starvation.
While a small number of bees do die during my beekeeping endeavors, the fact is that growing vegetables, grains, and other vegan-approved foods also kills bugs. Agricultural operations require pesticides. If you think you’re off the hook because you only eat organic vegetables, you’re wrong. Pesticides are used used in both conventional farming and organic farming. Some evidence even indicates the pesticides used by organic farmers cause more damage than those used by conventional farmers. Even worse, the inefficiency of organic farming means more land has to be put into crop production to feed the same amount of people, which means wild habitat is converted to farmland, which means wildlife perishes. My point is that things aren’t always what they seem, and while we should minimize our footprint on this planet, it’s impossible to leave no footprint at all.
There’s also a somewhat popular vegan honey substitute on the market that’s made from apples. If you’ve ever grown apple trees, you know how badly they’re under attack by a various bugs. All the apple trees I’ve grown have required some level of pest and fungus defense to keep them alive. Sweeteners made from sugar beets and sugarcane have similar problems. Meanwhile, my bees predominantly forage wildflowers, such as clover, black locust, goldenrod, etc., most of which never see a drop of pesticides.
Vegans should be commended for their concern the well-being of animals
All of this means that vegans most definitely kill and displace bugs and other animals, even when strictly adhering to a vegan diet. It sucks, but it’s reality. Heck, if you live in the country like I do, driving a car is less vegan than eating honey—I know this because I have to clean bugs from my windshield each time I gas up in the summer.
If you’re vegan, I’m not suggesting you alter your lifestyle. Again, I admire your goals and share most of the same values. But if you’re on the fence about eating honey, my advice is to find a local beekeeper, visit their operation, and ask them questions about how they handle their bees. Pay attention to the reverence—or lack thereof—they give their colonies. If you’re not totally satisfied with their treatment of bees, look for a different beekeeper. In the end, you may decide that eating honey isn’t the right choice for you. But if you find a beekeeper who shares your love of animals and nature, I say enjoy their honey and keep being vegan.