Beekeeping in, of, or for the city? A socioecological perspective on urban apiculture

Abstract

The term “urban beekeeping” has come to connote a host meanings --- sociopolitical, commercial, ecological, personal --- beyond the mere description of where bees and beekeepers happen to coincide. Yet these meanings are seldom articulated explicitly and seldom brought into critical engagement with the relevant fields of urban ecology and political ecology. Beginning with a brief account of the history of urban beekeeping in the United States, we draw upon urban ecological theory to construct a conceptual model for classifying urban beekeeping in terms of socioecological integration and socioecological activism. In our model, beekeeping *in* the city describes the mere importation of the traditionally rural practice of beekeeping into urban spaces for the private reasons of the individual beekeeper, while beekeeping *of* the city describes beekeeping that is consciously tailored to the urban context, often accompanied by (semi)professionalization of beekeepers and the formation of local expert communities (i.e. beekeeping associations). Beekeeping *for* the city describes a shift in mindset in which beekeeping is directed to civic ends beyond the boundaries of the beekeeping community *per se*. Using this model, we identify and discuss specific socioecological assets and liabilities of urban beekeeping, and how these relate to the form of urban beekeeping practiced. Based on these assets and liabilities, we then formulate actionable steps for maturing the practice of urban beekeeping into a beneficent and self-critical form of urban ecological citizenship; these include fostering self-regulation within the beekeeping community, harnessing beekeeping as a “gateway” experience for a broader rapprochement between urban residents and nature, and recognizing the political-ecological context of beekeeping with respect to matters of socioecological justice. We conclude by situating our analysis within the larger context of multispecies approaches to the study of cities as coupled human-natural systems.