This often produces a contentious argument among those who are interested, and some beekeepers can find it hard to understand, but if you are going by The Vegan Society’s own definition which states that, “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” then honey cannot be seen as vegan, because of the exploitation element, bees produce honey as a food source for themselves and cannot consent to sharing it with us humans.
Some people also go further and point to the various practices of beekeepers such as using the swarm control method of clipping part of one of the wings of the queen so she cannot fly far from the hive when the bees do attempt to swarm, and the replacing of the extracted honey with sugar syrup or fondant as an alternative food supply for the bees to over winter with.
So, is honey vegan? No.
Should Vegans eat honey - Vegans Disagree on Honeygate - www.thoughtco.com
Is Honey Vegan - Syracuse.com