Ask Y’all: Are almonds vegan?

kunsjoi sent in an article that provides some food for thought – the US almond crop is in jeopardy due to a shortage of bees. It seems that the 2.5 billion dollar crop requires a whole lot of bees for pollination, and these bees come from beekeepers who rent out their hives – some travel from as far away as North Carolina. At this point, the world’s demand for almonds clearly outstrips the supply of bees in the wild, and beekeepers are needed to make up the balance. There are other crops that require bees for pollination, but this is the only case I’ve heard of where bees are imported. So where does that leave vegans in the whole “honey isn’t vegan” debate? Link.