Context
Bzzz makes use of the treasures of the hive and locally creates by-products, especially for its members.
The Bzzz association was created in 2012 by a group of enthusiasts who wanted to get involved in the protection of bees and biodiversity. With the devastating decline in the numbers of bees, the general public realizes the urgent need to act. Bzzz is committed to this through concrete actions and enables citizens to act themselves to protect bees.
Project
By joining Bzzz, the citizen sponsors a quarter of a beehive. Following the same principle as an CSA, members help the association invest in beehives and swarms, and they then receive honey with each harvest.
The beehives are installed in the Var, at the foot of the Sainte-Baume and in Marseille in the Calanques National Park. Bzzz prioritizes bees over honey production.
In addition to honey, Bzz offers its members:
- apiary vizzzites
- the Newzzzletters “The Whisper of the Bees”
- invitation to DistriBzzz
To help its future members get started in beekeeping, Bzzz offers initiation courses to alternative beekeeping, Warré hives built by hand in local wood and the possibility of extracting their own honey in their Bzzz Mobile or in the municipal Honey House of Marseille.
Their production methods respect the health of bees, banning and fighting against pesticides and intensive beekeeping practices that weaken the colonies - and greenwashing. They take the time to calmly develop their activities and to question themselves.
Their objectives are long-term:
- create sedentary apiaries with a long-term program to plant melliferous trees and plants,
- become self-financing: develop their own resources to achieve financial independence from public and private funds,
- diversify their activities, contrary to the current monoculture system (and monocultures which decimate bees!),
- create long-term jobs,
- develop non-monetary exchanges
Project leaders
Bzzz is administered by a collegial council made up of Primelle, Thomas, Véro, Christine and Gilles. The association has 3 employees:
- Jacquie, our beekeeper
- Sarah, our coordinator
- Giuliana, our host.
All decisions are taken by consensus. No president or office, each member of the Collegial Council (CC) has the same powers and responsibilities. Sarah also sits on the CC to represent the employees.
The Bzzz association is supported by numerous partners, in particular MarsNet.org, Bouches-Du-Rhône General Council, La Graine, Friends of the Earth, Cooperative credit, the Filière Paysanne, Epluchures, Les Colibris, the City of Marseille and many more.
Written by Clémence Guignard, LFC volunteer - May 2019.
Last modification : 27 May 2020.
Bzzz
The non-profit association Bzzz was created in the summer of 2012 from the desire of a few enthusiasts to get involved in the protection of bees. The protection of biodiversity, healthy and local agriculture, public awareness in urban and rural areas, research, exchange and sharing of knowledge at local and international levels animate the team of administrators of Bzzz. Faced with the urgency of working for the protection of bees and the power of the plagues they face, awareness must continue and efforts must be multiplied. Bzzz’s ambition is to participate, on its own scale, in these efforts by calling on public authorities and involving citizens.