So we all love our alternate milks! Our local grocery stores are stocking up on several plant-based milks and we have more options readily available than ever before! Almond milk, Soy milk, hemp milk, Walnut milk, Cashew Milk, rice milk, coconut milk and the list goes on. As a part of veganism, we generally speak of abstaining from animal abuse, whether it is related to our diet or fashion or overall lifestyle. The goal is always to reduce this form of abuse as much as possible. So we avoid meats, dairy, poultry, honey, pearls, seafood, shells, feathers, leather, wool, silk, fur, beauty products tested on animals etc. Literally everything we use or consume is somehow tied to the use of animals.
Recently I watched More Than Honey with my husband. It’s a documentary that shed light on the growing industry on Almond Milk and its impact on the way bees are bred specifically for growing almonds. Beekeepers, scientists and others discuss the world’s declining bee population and what it may mean for modern society. I was stunned to see how many bees are “employed” for the production of almonds in the process of pollination. Bee keepers rent out their bees to farms and after the flowers are gone the trees are sprayed with a harmful pesticide to get rid of the bees. Some of them are able to fly back to the hives while most die from the toxic chemicals. The bee keepers travel all year round from California to Washington DC making their rounds with their bees so they can pollinate different crops, even apples. So while we are enjoying our glass of almond milk or a helping of that delicious vegan cheese made from almond milk, let’s not forget the large number of bees that have died in the production of its raw material, the almonds.
Love,
Sugandh
