Bzzz puts bees first, celebrates the treasures of the hive, and handcrafts products derived from them, especially for its members.

Bzzz showcases the treasures of the hive and handcrafts related products specifically for its members.   

The Bzzz association was founded in 2012 by a group of enthusiasts committed to protecting bees and biodiversity.  Faced with the alarming decline of bee populations, the general public is becoming aware of the urgent need to act. Bzzz is committed to this cause through concrete actions and empowers citizens to become active participants in bee conservation.

The project

By joining Bzzz, citizens become sponsors of a quarter of a hive.  Based on the same principle as CSA programs, their membership helps the association invest in hives and swarms, and members then receive honey at each harvest. 

The hives are located in the Var region, at the foot of Sainte-Baume, and in Marseille within the Calanques National Park. Bzzz prioritizes the bees over honey production. 

In addition to honey, Bzz offers its members: 

• visits to the apiary
• the “Le Murmure des Abeilles” newsletters
• invitations to DistriBzzz

To help its future members get started in beekeeping,  Bzzz offers introductory courses in alternative beekeeping, hand-built Warre hives made from local wood, and the opportunity to extract their own honey in their Bzzz Mobile or at the municipal honey house in Marseille. 

Their production methods prioritize bee health by banning and combating pesticides, intensive beekeeping practices that weaken colonies, and greenwashing.  They take the time to develop their activities at a steady pace and to reflect on their practices. 

Their goals are long-term:

• establishing permanent apiary sites through a long-term program of planting trees and honey plants,
• self-financing: developing their own resources to achieve financial independence from public and private funds,
• diversification of activities, in contrast to the current monocultural system (and the monocultures that are decimating the bees!),
• creation of sustainable jobs,
• development of non-monetary exchanges