Honey has been around for generations, but its origins are hardly as natural as many surplus brand names claim. While honey bees are responsible for the majority of the global pollination process. As their numbers are dropping. Although many academics & experts also criticize pesticides and intensive farming practices.

Throughout history, mankind’s sweet sauce with ‘magical’ powers employs as an element. Generally in embalming cakes, fluid as well as cheeses. However, it also includes antioxidants that help to decrease blood pressure. And connecting to several other health advantages.

Many vegans avoid it completely. This is due to the fact that it includes the exploitation of animals. Because honey is made by bees for bees, according to The Vegan Society. That’s why many vegans compare it to drinking cow’s milk or eating eggs. Since the animal’s produce doesn’t design for human use.

What is This Honey Buzz?

Firstly, bees take nectar from flowers to make honey. Then return to the hive & also transform into honey. According to The Vegan Society, it is “essential” to the health of a hive.

When bees take nectar from flowering plants, it produces honey. After that, convert it to simple sugars in their stomachs.

Though honey bees endure the whole spring and summer season producing honey. In order to keep it in the hive for the cold season.

Primarily bees ingest pollen and nectar from flowers. Thus, if there aren’t any or it’s extremely cold to access them, then they’ll go hungry. Although the honey doesn’t really serve a single bee. But rather than the entire bee community. Similarly in the winters, comprising of a queen bee & also roughly ten thousand worker bees.

Role of Bees in the Environment

So the carbohydrates which power bees’ flight are called nectar. Similarly, pollen is the source of protein for the larvae. Which helps them in growing healthy and strong adult bees.

Accordingly, bees transmit pollen between the male to the female parts of the flower. Whenever they seek food, enabling the flower to reproduce seeds and fruits. And that is why bees are so crucial for agriculture farming as well as for the environment.

Besides it, bees pollinate one out of each three mouthfuls we consume, berries, nuts, seeds for the food cycle of birds & animals. Plus the earth’s flora and other flora that entraps carbon emissions in the atmosphere.

As per the researched data in Statista, there are more than 90 million beehives on the planet. Considering the importance of honey for bees’ existence. Therefore, honey production is a multibillion-dollar business, due to the decline in bee populations.

Moreover, according to The Soil Association, only 1 out of 10 wild bee species in Europe is already on the verge of extinction.

Meanwhile, Bee Culture’s research shows that both honey consumption & prices are progressively increasing.

Why Vegans Avoid Honey?

Honey is not a choice for the majority of vegans. This is due to the fact that bees come under the category of both insects and animals. And therefore vegans reject products deriving from or involving animals in any form.

Similarly, many vegans are concerned about the environment. Where insects contribute an important role in preserving it. Further, the majority of the researchers and scientists agree that a drop in pollinators is bad news for the environment.

Professor Johanne Brunet of USDA-ARS at the University of Wisconsin–Madison believes that without bees, a variety of fruits and vegetables would be unable to thrive.

Plants rely on pollinators, while so pollinators rely on us. In order to sustain life on Earth & also to ensure human longevity and wellbeing. Establish the equilibrium, she argues.

Dark Truth of Honey Industry?

Scientists suggest that the insecticide – “Neonicotinoid”, is a primary cause of the loss of bee population over the world. As an outcome of a study into spraying pesticides on the crops. That’s why it also identifies molecules in the honey, according to the authors of the Science publication.

Benjamin observes that millions of honey bees perish due to chemicals, pathogens. And due to inadequate nutrition while researching for her subject.

Over that She explains that this is due to the farming techniques by humans. Which is modern and yet intensive. Resulting in illness concerns on a large scale. “In the United States, massive beekeepers commonly report that at least 1/3rd of their population die every year,” Benjamin concludes.

Deficiency of nutritional food is also a concern since the bees carry from one monoculture onto the next to pollinate. Frequently thousands of miles away in the United States. But they will not be fed with a good diet, making them feeble.

As per The Vegan Society, particularly breeding honey bees. Producing honey has an impact on the number of other bees.

There has been complete documentation that falls in the number of bumblebee species. Some beekeepers gather as much honey as possible. Then use a sweetener to substitute the hive. Hence the nutrients in honey are not present in this.

Abusive Bee Farming

Elisa Allen, the director of PETA, criticizes the honey production method. By claiming that some people abuse bees for profit.

She says that they are genetically modifying, their colonies are burning out. And hence legs and wings are ripped off as they are shoving out of the path. So that humans can collect their honey. Which are their sustenance and their life’s motive of pollination. Rightfully pertains to them, and not for us,

Many beekeepers utilize barbaric tactics to secure their personal safety and meet production targets. Such as ripping the queen bee’s wings off so she can’t flee from the colony. Then murdering drones to retrieve pollen to fertilize the queen bee.

To avoid honey, substitute maple syrup or agave nectar. Both of which are wonderful vegan alternatives.

Also, the glands of queen honey bees are helpful in extracting royal jelly. Which is generally a gelatin-like substance. It’s a common ingredient in cosmetics. According to Benjamin, this is the most ruthless product. Because honey bees prepare it on a large scale. Although treating honey bees as golden jelly machines.

Almonds and Avocados in Btw the Process

Some say, however, that everyone who eats avocados & almonds should think about the equally damaging methods. That generally goes into their production.

As per the Scientific American article, millions of honey bees carry across the US to pollinate almond trees. By following the same methods, it pollinates the Avocados.

“Compelling bees to collect pollen and nectar from wide expanses of a particular crop prevents them from the vastly highly diversified and healthy diet afforded by wild habitats,” the report adds. As a result of migration, honeybees are always caught in a cycle of abundance & near-starvation.

Eating almonds is ‘just as terrible for bees,’ according to Benjamin.

Consumers who wish to purchase honey should do so to support local beekeepers. Operating in a small group of hives and “care the bees appropriately,” according to her. She believes that small-scale farmers just remove the surplus. Also, guarantee that the bees have food for the winter.

Vegan Alternates for Honey

In the market, there are many honey replacements. C oconut nectar, brown rice syrup, agave nector, date syrup, maple syrup and vegan honea are just a few of the options.

Natural ingredients are used to make vegan honey alternatives. If you’re unsure if eat or not to eat honey, check out these instead.

Types of Vegan Honey

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is a Canadian sweetener which is prepared from the sap of the maple tree.

Prepare this Vegan Steamed Maple Syrup Pudding recipe for a vegan version on the steamed pudding in a classic style. Holland and Barrett offers you Buckwud’s “100 percent Pure Organic Maple Syrup”.

Vegan honea

Organic flavourings like lemon juice, apple juice and molasses are commonly used in honea. A few vegan honea products contain prebiotics, which have been shown to aid intestinal health.

Plant-Based Luxury Honea Butter is one of Artisan’s vegan honea flavours. Vegan Honea is drizzled over eco friendly plant-based chicken by certain brands.

Vegan Honea is available for purchase online at www.plantbasedartisans.com.

Coconut Nectar

The sap extracted from the coconut trees is used to make this partcular nectar. It is usually regarded as being more pure than syrups derived from coconut sugar because it has been processed in a minimalistic way.

Coconut Flapjacks are made with oats, dates and dried fruits.

Coconut Nectar is available from www.thecoconutcompany.co

Brown Rice Syrup

You may make your own granola with this sweetener, which is made from brown rice, as the name implies. Its glycemic index is higher than that of most other sweeteners.

“Naturally Ella” has a grain-free granola recipe.

“Biona” is the right place to go if you want to order organic brown rice syrup.

Agave Nectar

The sap extracted from the Blue Webbar Agave plant is used to make Agave Nectar. Compared to refined sugars, it has less glucose. Furthermore, it has a naturally sweeter flavour, requiring less sugar to get the similar taste.

The Groovy Food Company offers eleven different agave nectar varieties. Honey Flavor, Chocolate, Caramel, Rich and Dark, and Blueberry are among them.

Such vegan Tahini & Turmeric Granola Bars are made with the Rich & Dark taste.

Date Syrup

Cakes and sweet desserts typically contain dates. They can also be turned into syrup by soaking, boiling, and filtering process.

Follow the recipe on Lazy Cat Kitchen’s website to make date syrup for yourself.