Is Almond Milk Bad for Bees? All About Sustainability Concerns

There are many reasons dairy milk consumption is declining while plant-based milk is on the rise: increasing awareness of lactose intolerance and the power of food trends, sure, but many also hope to lessen the environmental impact of producing dairy milk. Milk from cows requires a colossal amount of land and water, and dairy cows significantly contribute to global temperature-raising greenhouse gas emissions.

Driven by the need for eco-conscious solutions, many plant-based alternatives have gained popularity among consumers. From almond and cashew to oat and hemp, it’s common to find plant-based milk not just at grocery stores but also in restaurants and cafes. While these milk alternatives decrease the environmental toll of raising dairy cows, avoiding animal-based milk doesn’t guarantee your purchase is environmentally friendly—the impact of almond milk production on the honeybee population is a perfect example.

What Do Bees Have to Do with Almond Milk?

If you’re wondering how exactly bees are related to almond milk production, honey bees are required to grow almonds. Bees are shipped in, with hives placed strategically throughout almond groves, to encourage pollination of the almond trees. It takes millions of honey bees to pollinate the almond groves of California’s Central Valley, where most of America’s almonds come from. Because they’re so vital to agriculture, these bees are actually classified as livestock.

How Does Almond Milk Production Negatively Impact Bees?

While shipping does take the pollinators out of their native environment, the negative impact associated with almond milk has more to do with how the bees are put to work in almond groves. According to the International Food Information Service, the burden on bees is so significant that beekeepers lose an estimated 30% of their population annually.

The Hibernation Period and Process Is Disrupted

The almond tree growing season begins before the honey bee hibernation period is over, but because of the demand for almonds and almond byproducts, bees are sent into groves before they naturally emerge from winter dormancy. Bees aren’t supposed to be moved during winter, so when hives are transported for almond tree pollination, the bees experience a significant amount of stress.

They’re Exposed to Pesticides and Parasites

When bees are transported, they’re exposed to parasites like the Varroa mite, which latch onto honeybees and feed on their bodily tissue. This weakens bees, stunts growth, and has the potential to destroy entire colonies. In addition to being exposed to parasites, bees are exposed to a significant amount of pesticides in the groves. These toxic chemicals lead to illness and death in the pollinators. If the bees manage to survive the season, they expose their colonies to the pesticides once they return to the hive, which results in even more population loss.

Repopulation Efforts Impact Hibernation Even More

On top of the hibernation period being cut short due to the high demand for almonds, the annual mass casualty among bee populations affects the hibernation process itself. Bees typically spend winter crowding around the queen bee to keep her warm, but with fewer numbers, the colonies are exposed to colder temperatures. This is further exacerbated by beekeepers having to split their hives in an effort to repopulate the colonies before the next growing season.

Plant-Based Milks to Avoid

Not all plant-based milks have the same environmental footprint. The BBC compared a few different types (rice, almond, soy, and oat) by the amount of land use, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions per glass of milk. Almond milk, with its high demand for water and reliance on honey bees, ranks poorly. Soy used for soy milk is often grown with pesticides, and Brazil, one of the largest soy producers, has been linked to massive deforestation in its soybean production.

More Eco-Friendly Plant-Based Alternatives

The environmental problems associated with almond and soy milk aren’t necessarily true across all milk alternatives. The impacts vary grower by grower, brand by brand, and so on. Like the rest of our food chain, some companies are more sustainable than others. Most plant-based milks have a smaller environmental footprint than dairy milk, but regulation and labeling are confusing and limited. Research on the environmental impact of all of these alternative milks is in early stages, with much left to be known. But being conscious of what we do know can help us make the right dairy aisle decisions.

If you’re searching for dairy alternatives that require fewer environmental resources, consider plant-based varieties including hazelnut, oat, and hemp milk. Hazelnut milk requires less water and fewer pollinators than most nuts, though little research on its environmental impact exists. Oat milk also requires very little water compared to almond or dairy milk. Hemp, increasing in popularity thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill which legalized its growth nationwide, is a hardy plant that requires little in the way of pesticides and is a newer milk alternative to consider.

Nutrients to Look for in Plant-Based Milks

Cow’s milk is a good source of calcium and vitamin D, which are important for bone health. A common concern with plant-based alternatives is that they don’t deliver nutrients provided by dairy milk. To ensure you’re still receiving vital nutrients with plant-based milk, read the nutrition labels for these key factors:

• Avoid added sugar. Milks labeled as unsweetened don’t contain added sugar, and many “original” versions (rather than flavored options like vanilla) are also free of added sugar. Always check the label to verify this to be true.
• Look for key vitamins and minerals. Plant-based milks fortified with and higher in calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, and potassium are the best alternatives to dairy milk.
• Check protein and saturated fat content. Milks with 5 grams or more protein per cup and little or no saturated fat are best. Note that coconut milk in particular is higher in saturated fat than other alternatives.

If there’s not one plant-based alternative on the market that satisfies all the nutrient requirements you’d like to receive from milk, try incorporating a few plant-based milks in your diet to get all the nutrients you need.