Ethical Beeswax

   Some vegans look at bee agriculture with the spirit of veganism in mind. If vegans abstained from all forms of bee labor, their plant-based diets would look quite different: no almonds, avocados, apples, pears, cucumbers, melons, green beans, not to mention oilseed crops like sunflower, soy, cottonseed, peanut, and rapeseed. Because of this inextricable relationship, some vegans see honey and beeswax purchased from small "backyard" apiaries as aligned with vegan values while not meeting the technical definition of vegan.

   There is no honey without beeswax, and even in the most careful removal of the honeycomb, bees can be injured or killed. However, some vegans feel that drawing the line at bee byproducts misses the bigger point of veganism. Moreover, folks interested in veganism often find the distinction over bee byproducts too demanding and not universally applied, turning them away from the lifestyle.

   Unfortunately, the beeswax yields from small local bee farms are equally small, making the overwhelming majority of beeswax a product of industrial beekeeping.