But other common non-vegan ingredients come from a much smaller animal: the bee.
In the same way that cows produce milk or chickens produce eggs, bees producehoney.
Bees also produce other commercially used substances, including propolis, royal jelly, and pollen.
Here’s their rationale why.
Humans use them for their products and for their labor as large-scale crop pollinators.
Because of this, bees play an integral role in worldwide food production.
Without bees, we wouldn’t have many foods we love, including almonds and avocados.
Bees are shipped across the nation for pollination, and that travel takes an enormous toll on their health.
The authors also found that bees used for crop pollination die sooner than wild bees.
Bees also die because of poor hive management.
One2013 studyin PNAS found that this replacement practice may weaken the bees' natural resilience to pathogens and pesticides.
Hives in this state rarely survive the winter.
If colony collapse disorder gets worse, it could threaten food prices and availability.
