I’m vegan, and I am for almost entirely ethical reasons. However, when the topic of honey comes up I often go for the environmental arguments. Even if we were to concede that the subjective welfare of honey bees is better than wild bees, honeybees displacing native pollinators through competition and disease likely has untold flow on effects on the ecosystem we can’t necessarily calculate. Populations of honeybees have increased by over 80% since 1961 (FAO), while wild bee diversity has declined steadily since the 1990s, with over 40% of wild bee species threatened (Vox 2023; Penn State 2022).
I guess what lies at the core of my views is that even if a bunch of honey bees are living net-positive lives, is this a case of more is better? My utilitarian framework would probably hinge on there having to be an increase in the average welfare of all beings over time—and I see the welfare brought about from a product such as honey as negligible, compared to the risks posed. I would be keen to hear some counter-arguments to this framework.
I’m vegan, and I am for almost entirely ethical reasons. However, when the topic of honey comes up I often go for the environmental arguments. Even if we were to concede that the subjective welfare of honey bees is better than wild bees, honeybees displacing native pollinators through competition and disease likely has untold flow on effects on the ecosystem we can’t necessarily calculate. Populations of honeybees have increased by over 80% since 1961 (FAO), while wild bee diversity has declined steadily since the 1990s, with over 40% of wild bee species threatened (Vox 2023; Penn State 2022).
I guess what lies at the core of my views is that even if a bunch of honey bees are living net-positive lives, is this a case of more is better? My utilitarian framework would probably hinge on there having to be an increase in the average welfare of all beings over time—and I see the welfare brought about from a product such as honey as negligible, compared to the risks posed. I would be keen to hear some counter-arguments to this framework.