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[Champomade]

By now, I imagine pretty much everyone in the Anglosphere has been exposed to this earth shattering piece of news: avocados, in addition to other less instagram friendly (except maybe kiwi?) fruits and vegetables, may not be vegan after all.

If this gathers enough momentum in the right circles, what could it mean for the US economy and society? For a start, I would imagine this would create quite an interesting moral dilemma for the tens of thousands of vegan instagram influencers who rely on avocado smoothies pictures to make a living? Will money comes before ethics?
If not could the economy of California be impacted by a potential bankruptcy of these influencers, with the numerous jobs catering to them (pilates coach, starbucks baristas, meditation gurus) potentially impacted as well?

On the other hand, maybe avocado cultivation could move from Mexico (the country numero uno at the moment) and its poor farmers to some highly ethical Google-owned labs in the Silicon Valley?


https://munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/d3qeez/avocados-are-not-vegan-argues-bbc-tv-show-host

For those that eschew all animal products, the lines can be hard to draw; we’ve all heard about vegans that don’t eat honey, because they don’t want to take advantage of the hard-earned fruits of bees’ labor by stealing their vital food source. But color us surprised to hear that for some, even ordinary fruits and vegetables, like avocado, aren’t seen as vegan, after all.

That was the claim made by Sandi Toksvig, host of the British comedy quiz show QI. On the BBC-aired program, three guest panelists answer questions that are “extremely obscure,” according to Wikipedia, earning points not only for the correct response, but also for unusual or funny answers. On a recent episode, according to Plant Based News, Toksvig asked the panelists to name the item—out of almonds, avocados, kiwi, butternut squash, and melon—that was not vegan. The answer? All of the above.
“It’s the same reason as honey,” Toksvig said on the show. “Because they are so difficult to cultivate naturally, all of these crops rely on bees which are placed on the back of trucks and taken very long distances across the country.”
Toksvig was referring to a real practice called migratory beekeeping, in which, just as she described, honeybees get trucked around to commercial crops that need extra help with pollination, including apples and berries in addition to the ones QI cited. In support of her claim, studies have concluded that the stress of travel can shorten bees’ lifespan and leave them more vulnerable to both disease and parasites.

“It's unnatural use of animals and there are lots of foods that fall foul of this. Broccoli is a good example,” Toksvig said on QI. “Cherries, cucumbers, lettuce. Lots and lots of vegan things are actually not strictly vegan."

 

[Cunth]

Shit. As long as my steaks are still vegan though I’m good to go.

 

[Cybrwzrd]

Shit. As long as my steaks are still vegan though I’m good to go.

You are fine. Brisket, Bacon and Baby Back Ribs also are also universally Organic, Non-GMO, Gluten-free-range vegetarian fed and 100% Vegan as well.

 

[mutt765]

I don't really care what's vegan and what isn't but I didn't realize we used bees THAT much. No wonder people are freaking out over them getting endangered status.

 

[supermassiveblackhole]

That's a silly stretch.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

This is why "vegan" is such a nonsensical dietary concept. I was pescatarian (permitting copious dairy & fish, but not other meats) for over a decade, and that diet has some consistency in its aims. But this notion that any animal cultivation makes a food prohibited is just bizarre. Why not even permit a distinction between respectful cultivation that operates symbiotically (as bee uses tend to do) versus mass cages, etc? The idea that animals should not be part of our human ecosystem at all is truly strange.

 

[strange headache]

I'd say that the dichotomy between plants and animals that is fundamental to vegan food consumption is way too reductive. Vegans who refuse to consume honey do so because they think that "stealing honey" from the bess would violate their interests. Being able to formulate interests requires some sort of intelligence, so maybe distinguishing between intelligent and non-intelligent lifeforms would be a much better guideline.

Vegans do eat mushrooms though. Considering how intelligent fungi really are, I wouldn't be surprised if they are also interest-orientated lifeforms akin to animals and humans:



Since yeast is considered to be a fungi too, I'd also advise against the consumption of beer

 

[tkscz]

Holy shit if Bees are this important, why the fuck aren't we doing more to keep the little fuckers off the endangered list? That's pretty much all fruits and vegetables. Didn't realize they did that much.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Veganism has jumped from a collection of some practical dietary choices to a full-blown copypasta of ritualized ahimsa.

 

[Greedings]

Holy shit if Bees are this important, why the fuck aren't we doing more to keep the little fuckers off the endangered list? That's pretty much all fruits and vegetables. Didn't realize they did that much.

Wild bees are incredible important. These aren’t wild bees. They’re “captive.”

 

[Hudo]

I've thrown around numerous avocado pits in my neighbourhood (couldn't bring myself to just throw them in the bin) in the hopes that some will grow. Nothing as of yet. I'll keep you posted.

 

[supermassiveblackhole]

Veganism is about the reduction of suffering, so pointing at plant intelligence as a gotcha doesn't have much weight. They have to eat something, so they take the least harmful route they have in context.

Lots of vegans still eat honey, too, I think because again these creatures don't suffer like those in the dairy and meat industries.

 

[SLoWMoTIoN]

Aguacates have been around since forever here. It wasn't that long ago when the US didn't even let you have em cause they were considered toxic then 10 years later it exploded. Now white people use it on EVERYTHING. Its a just a plant bro!

Yes I'm over 200 years old.

 

[WaterAstro]

Veganism is about the reduction of suffering, so pointing at plant intelligence as a gotcha doesn't have much weight. They have to eat something, so they take the least harmful route they have in context.

Lots of vegans still eat honey, too, I think because again these creatures don't suffer like those in the dairy and meat industries.

But think about the Ents from Lord of the Rings! They are almost extinct! VEGANS DON'T EAT VEGETABLES!

 

[mckmas8808]

That's a silly stretch.

It's so stupid. But super extreme vegans are also annoying so I get it.

 

[Torrent of Pork]

I just want to post a public plea.

If you find bees developing a hive on your property, please call a local apiary (beekeepers) that offers removal services before you call an exterminator. Bees are absolutely vital to agriculture, and plenty of local apiaries around me will happily trap hives that form in yards and houses. They are much cheaper than exterminators, and they will use the bees in their business.

 

[Makariel]

I consider chicken a vegetable.

 

[SirKicksalot]

Farmers are literally holocausting millions of critters every day, so by this logic vegans should starve to death.

 

[ymoc]

Ehhhhh this is not really what vegan means.
It's a ridiculous stretch for the sake of controversy itself, creating a "buzz".
A vegan diet has a pretty straightforward definition: no animal products including milk.

Why in the world does it matter if they use migrating bees to pollinate the plants? It's not even animal cruelty. They literally take the bees out for a meal.

 

[Tesseract]

veganism is a joke, the amount of suffering that goes into growing and harvesting shit is tremendous

you're doing more harm with veganism than you are by killing what you eat

 

[supermassiveblackhole]

veganism is a joke, the amount of suffering that goes into growing and harvesting shit is tremendous

you're doing more harm with veganism than you are by killing what you eat

This isn't true at all.

I'd like to read your sources so I can provide counter evidence please!

It's so stupid. But super extreme vegans are also annoying so I get it.

Sure, but they are a minority. It irks me a bit when people point at them like they're the standard is all.

 

[WaterAstro]

It's so stupid. But super extreme vegans are also annoying so I get it.

They should be told that if they move an inch, they might step on an insect.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

Why in the world does it matter if they use migrating bees to pollinate the plants? It's not even animal cruelty. They literally take the bees out for a meal.

I think it is daft, but it matters because it is harmful to the bees. If the point of not using animal products is to lessen or end harm to animals, then eating food that requires harming animals is obviously a problem.

 

[hivsteak]

The idea that animals should not be part of our human ecosystem at all is truly strange.

I think most vegans are more against the mass production of dairy and meat than outing animals from humanity’s diet.

 

[Redneckerz]

With that kind of unreasonable logic having pets is also not vegan, especially cats.

Hell, the social media devices they use to influence people (Influencer must the most overrated title given to anyone, ever) aren't vegan either.

If vegans wanted to be literal vegans, they wouldn't have a platform to spread their evangelion upon, so ofcourse some rules have to be established.

I don't care what you eat and ill reasonably tag along with anyone, but as a meatlover i am not going to tell you that you should eat meat or serve it to you if you declare that you are vegan; Ill make sure you are comfortable at my BBQ aswell.

Vice versa i expect the same thing when i would attend a vegan BBQ. You don't have to tell me that i should eat vegan. Ill display empathy with your background and take care of it, and i expect to be treated the same for my background.

#lifehacksthataintlifehacks

 

[CatLady]

So a vegan diet mainly consists of rocks & lawn clippings?

 

[iconmaster]

Stealing the bees' labor is a really good point against vegans, actually.

 

[mckmas8808]

Sure, but they are a minority. It irks me a bit when people point at them like they're the standard is all.

I agree with you. Which is why I wanted to point out that this is extreme. It's so silly.

 

[Codes 208]

Holy shit if Bees are this important, why the fuck aren't we doing more to keep the little fuckers off the endangered list? That's pretty much all fruits and vegetables. Didn't realize they did that much.

Wasnt that the message of that dreamworks Bee movie awhile back? Thats how i learned of this growing up lol

 

[bitbydeath]

 

[drunkchan]

The last of that article said...

I think sentiments like this are just used as a rod to beat vegans with and make meat-eaters feel better about themselves

But I mean honestly, that sounds like something an extreme vegan would say to out vegan the other vegans.

 

[Tapioca]

Vegans do not eat honey due to bees being harmed in the farming process.

 

[TTOOLL]

Veganism is a joke.

 

[supermassiveblackhole]

Veganism is a joke.

How is it a joke exactly?

 

[TrainedRage]

How is it a joke exactly?

I think they mean all the differing psychology and apparent activism in the vegan "movement" is a joke. I doubt they think there is anything "bad" about eating just fruit and vegetables. Its the other stuff that gets thrown into it.

 

[supermassiveblackhole]

I think they mean all the differing psychology and apparent activism in the vegan "movement" is a joke. I doubt they think there is anything "bad" about eating just fruit and vegetables. Its the other stuff that gets thrown into it.

I think you might be giving them too much credit.

The extreme militant bullshit is a very extreme minority. The majority of vegans you meet in your life you won't even realise are vegan because they never even announce it.

 

[ipukespiders]

Veganism is a joke.

How is it a joke exactly?

Why did veganism cross the road? To get to the other side.

 

[Breakage]

I have been a vegetarian for several years now. I couldn't be a vegan. A lot of middle-class women seem to be into it though (at least in my area).

 

[Rest]

Why did veganism cross the road? To get to the other side. To tell a random passerby that it was vegan.

Turned that into a meme for you.

 

[eddie4]

Veganism is a joke.

How is it a joke exactly?

An argument between two vegans is not called a beef.
Just two people with bad 'tempehs'.

Spoiler

I'll see myself out.

 

[supermassiveblackhole]

An argument between two vegans is not called a beef.
Just two people with bad 'tempehs'.

Spoiler

I'll see myself out.

I'm not sure if this is clever enough to escape dad joke territory, but I do appreciate it on that level at least.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

Who the fuck's not gonna eat something because it's related to bees? You're telling me people won't eat HONEY?

Avocado is a fruit, of course it's vegan, people shouldn't be that damn anal about this.

 

[supermassiveblackhole]

Who the fuck's not gonna eat something because it's related to bees? You're telling me people won't eat HONEY?

Avocado is a fruit, of course it's vegan, people shouldn't be that damn anal about this.

Upon looking it up, Bees are actually harmed during the farming process often for Honey. The honey is sometimes removed from the hive and replaced with refined sugars, for example.

My partner's parents are beekeepers and send over huge jars of honey, they're quite involved in considerate bee keeping and told her about this.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

They're insects though.

We're going to get sad about the death of insects? They are biological machines with no real feelings or thoughts, not like us or other animals.

I'm not trying to be mean, I don't have a bone to pick with insects, but it just seems to be going too far.

 

[supermassiveblackhole]

They're insects though.

We're going to get sad about the death of insects? They are biological machines with no real feelings or thoughts, not like us or other animals.

I'm not trying to be mean, I don't have a bone to pick with insects, but it just seems to be going too far.

Well, bees are important for our environment so they hold a degree of respect from many. Also we don't need honey, so why disrupt the lives of even insects for our own gain?

I don't know why this bothers you that some people care, if you don't care that's fine. No need to get upset by those who do.

 

[MultiCore]

People are only vegan because of the incredible advancements we've had that allow for levels of excess prosperity for even the lowliest of citizens, such that we no longer have to rely on subsistence farming to merely exist.

It's basically a 'natural' extension of philosophy.

I'm not for torturing animals, but I'll eat anything that had parents.

I do think pet ownership of any kind is immoral though. Eat them all you want. Lock them up and call them your kid? Sure, Jan.

 

[YIKES]

Thought i was going to read an article about how cartel victims are used as fertilizer for Avocados, pleasantly surprised that it's not the case. At least restoring insect populations is relatively easy, i used to work at a bumblebee breeder.

 

[Odinnii]

Good. Avocados are a regular part of my diet and i couldnt care less about how vegan it is. If anything, knowing its not vegan makes me like it even more.