Urban Beekeepers Challenge Modern Economy with Community Honey Project

At Bybi in Copenhagen, a group of staff and volunteers have created a community focused on honey production, much of which is given away. The bees live on the roof of Victorian buildings in the city center, a site that combines social enterprise with nature and volunteer work.

Oliver Maxwell, Bybi’s founder, explains the buildings’ history as a prison, workhouse, and hospital, now serving similar social functions. The collective operates like a commune and art space, with volunteers hand-jarring honey from various city locations, each jar reflecting the unique local flora and conditions.