Never Say Never... Journey Into Another Food Label Pt 2

      Lets recount shall we? Since discovering the hell that is factory farming - or livestock farming in general - in early May of 2011 I've went from being a full vegan (which lasted for about 4 days) back to white-meat-only and seafood, to being a pescatarian, to a full vegetarian by August 2011. What a rapid change, huh? By October I gave up eggs, but on occasion still ate cheese and consumed things with honey.

      Like cheese, I don't go out of my way and pick up honey when I do groceries, but I also don't go out of my way to avoid it either. By that I am referring to the vast array of cereals, sandwich spreads, and beverages which contain honey as a natural sweetener. As I am to understand, there is a "great divide" among many vegans, whom on one side, see the continued consumption of honey as a grey area, if not an exceptional option, of ethical concern while a majority find it a failure of living up to the highest ideals of what veganism is ALL about. I, of course, lend my support to the former, though, on certain conditions. To me, I find the business of beekeeping not as severe in ethical weight as oppose to the horror faced by cows, pigs, poultry, fish and now horses in the U.S. for every second the clock ticks. Oops! There goes that bias again, someone pass me a mirror. But seriously speaking -  bees live a far more natural life than other animals. Yes, I understand that a small portion of female honeybees' reproductive system is exploited to harvest more bees, and their bounty is taken away from them which is still a grievance much like a calf drawn away from its mother so humans can take their milk, and for those reasons I think vegans make an excellent argument. But I don't endorse the general demonizing of all beekeepers. Since most hobbyist typically leave more than enough food for their bees in the winter to survive on, and only sell honey (not its wax or combs for its use in other things) as a secondary means of income, I don't see any ethical dilemma: bees live lives that are relatively undisturbed until it's time to harvest - a stark difference when you compare the ever-full conveyor belts and tanks of fully-conscious land and sea animals. In fact, I would take a gamble in saying that the significant decline in honeybees worldwide may stem from the food mono-cultures and pesticides that humans have decided with their purchasing power they want harvested in abundance - not by the conditions of beekeeping. So if you want to give the little guys a break, please start growing your own nuts, fruits and veggies.

First Read: Why honey is NOT vegan
Then Read: Meet my beekeeper

    Currently, I have no need to buy honey right now - though if I did, I would support a local hobbyist beekeeper (which is for more environmental reasons than ethical). I am taking the time to explore the vast array of vegan alternative sweeteners (rolls my eyes) that abolitionist vegans won't stfu about. Yes, I will admit I do like agave nectar, and for the price and size that I purchase it for coincides with how much I actually do use - though I still think it should be much cheaper, and I end up using a lot in my teas - but I look forward to trying brown rice syrups, Stevia etc. etc.  But know this: I won't intentionally avoid honey if it shows up in an ingredients list; there are just way too many good cereals to pass up on just to avoid that 1 sweetener. So bee it. I maybe willing to give up cheese one day, but not honey. Like I said before, I'm not really attached to dietary labels, but if I were asked I would say that I identify as a lacto-vegetarian only because I fail in being a consistent vegan by eating cheese croissants once in a while but eschew every other dairy derivative such as cream cheese, sour cream, ice cream etc. This may be as far I am willing to go... but, you never know.


What do you think? Do you have a high esteem about your diet, or could you do without the food labels? Does honey help or hurt the cause for veganism?