Are Avocados Vegan?

The popularity of avocados

Though already an established staple in many developing countries, avocados have seen exponential growth and consumption globally. It has found popularity with millennials in their 20s and 30s — to the point they were told it was preventing them from being able to afford to buy a house.

 In fact, avocado imports between 2012 and 2016 grew by as much as 21% globally. 

Are avocados vegan?

Well, they’re a plant so they’ve got to be, right? Unfortunately, the reasoning isn’t quite so simple. Avocados are reliant on bee pollination, and this process cannot be done naturally considering the demand for the fruit, so to cater to the demand migratory beekeeping and unnatural methods of pollination are used. Some people believe that this use of bees is exploitative, calling into question whether avocados can still be considered a vegan food.

However, the reality is that these practices are used for much more than just avocados — almonds, kale, grapes, apples — so many fruits and vegetables that we all love and eat regularly are grown in the same way. With the size of the world’s population, it is inevitable that everyone, vegan and not vegan, might unknowingly rely on these farming methods to ensure they have access to fresh produce they want. 

So, are avocados vegan? Yes, they are. But it’s also important to acknowledge that plants, in their many shapes, forms, textures and tastes, shouldn’t be taken for granted — and neither should your next yummy piece of avocado toast. 

Got any more plant-based myths for us to bust? Let us know in the comments!