The Great Honey Debate

The other day we were very busy bees. We were moving things, gardening, doing some maintenance to the piggy house... it was quite a full day. By the time the sun went down we were mighty hungry and ready to settle in for night. Between the two of us we were just way too tired to stand and cook dinner and too hungry to wait- so we decided on instant and cheap gratifucation. Subway.

Not the best choice, but certainly not the worst when you're talking about quick an inexpensive food prepared outside of your own kitchen. So we made a trip down the road to the nearest Subway to pick up some sandwiches.

Upon arriving we were informed that they were out of every kind of bread except for the 9-Garin Wheat, Honey Oat, and Italian Herbs and Cheese. So obviously we weren't going to get the Italian Herbs and Cheeses, but this left us with the 9-Grain Wheat and Honey Oat which both contain honey.

Jenna is what some people refer to as a "honey vegan" meaning she does not consume animals or animal by-products with the exception of honey. I'm not a "honey vegan". Our opinions differ somewhat on this topic as do opinions within the vegan community.

So here we are, standing in front of the counter at Subway, super tired and hungry and just wanting a sandwich so we can go home and eat... then all of a sudden a simple dinner turns into a moral dilemma. We stood there for a few minutes talking about whether bees were harmed during the honey gathering process. How bees are transported to different climates not familiar to them and often die out in transit or due to new weather conditions... the man behind the counter must have thought we were insane.

The debate was whether I should compromise in this situation and just have bread I know contains honey because of the situation. We were tired, we were super hungry, and the next closest Subway was a good few miles away. Not to mention that we have limited vegan quick-service food options in our immediate area.

A few minutes later we were back in the car on our way to the next closest Subway hoping they would have vegan bread, and although Jenna shook her head the whole way there, she smiled. Exhausted, hungry, and thinking I was crazy- she still drove another 10 minutes to get me a honey-free sub sandwich. This is why I love her.

Some people will say things like "They're insects, not animals." but to me it's one in the same. Life is life. It's the same reason I have a difficult time killing spiders and roaches and other animals people typically consider "pests". In my mind, they all have a story. They all have a family and friends and hopes and dreams. I don't want to be responsible for destroying that. Sometimes it can be difficult to share a house with them and obviously if they attack I will defend myself, but as long as they're respectful house guests I see no problem coexisting or humanely relocating them outside.

Bees make a tremendously delicious creation, honey, but they make it for themselves and their hive. Not us. In theory, even if we are not hurting the bees, we're still stealing from them. It reminds me of the same argument people have when they talk about milk not killing a mother cow. I'm not sure what about not killing the cow makes stealing their milk, keeping them pregnant, and holding them against their will okay, but people seem to be able to justify it with that same logic.



Since our Subway adventure we have done a lot of research about the honey industry. The practices, the mortality rate, the amount of bees it takes to make a certain amount of honey and their overall treatment. Here's an example of some of the information we have found: Why Honey is Not Vegan.

So in closing, last night we were making some Earl Grey tea and we were out of raw sugar and almond milk. Bummer! There were a few rogue honey packets hanging out in our pantry and I pulled them out thinking Jenna might want to use them as a sweetener. She looked them over and shook her head silently.

We both drank our tea plain that night.

Sometimes it can be difficult to make the switch and stop consuming things we have always enjoyed, like honey. Especially when it's blended into something like sub bread. Sometimes you feel it in your heart and other times you need to research and understand the manufacturing process before you can make an educated choice.

But when it comes to the vegan community the great honey debate wages on.




With peace, love, and compassion-
Brandy from The Two Vegan Ladies