Honeybees are responsible for $30bn a year in crops but they do not get the economic recognition they deserve. Rather, they are dying in massive numbers due to human activity. Creating a proof of the honeybees work on the blockchain will monetize their work, increase bee numbers, secure sustainability of beekeepers work, expand Cardano’s use in commerce, increase Cardano users/holders, and secure sustainable living for all.
To achieve this, the following steps will be taken:
Proof of honeybees' work
Beekeepers, new to the profession, will be identified and recruited for the project’s purposes from the register of the Ministry of Agriculture in Cyprus. The beekeepers will register to a Cardano wallet and become members of the Cardano community. From then on, they will be identified as the ‘Cardano Beekeepers’. The Cardano Beekeepers will be asked to sign up a number of beehives from their beehive fleet (aiming for 25 for starts). For each beehive a limited edition NFT will be developed. The NFT will be the vehicle to blockchain. Each NFT will be minted on NFT-MAKER and sold. In this way each beehive will be registered on the blockchain and the honeybees’ proof of work will be recognized. For the project's purposes 25 NFTs will be developed but since sustainability is important, more unique NFTs will be developed even after the project is completed for future sales. Continuous sales of NFTs will help Cardano beekeepers sustain the beehive fleet and protect the honeybees.
Campaign & Sustainability
NFTs will be promoted and sold through a Web page. CRM technology and social media will be utilized for promotion and sales. The campaign will be ongoing to raise as much awareness as possible on honeybees, thus achieving the sales target. Each individual that buys an NFT will be informed about the details of the beehive she/he adopts (location, progress, honey production etc). The NFT promotion will concentrate on Cardano’s environmental protection philosophy. ADA earned from selling the NFTs will be deposited to the beekeepers’ wallet. The purpose of the earned ADA is to secure sustainability of the honeybee communities, and the beekeepers’ work. This will in-turn increase the honeybee population. (Note: The webpage will remain active for sustainability purposes even after the project is completed, continue future sales and raise awareness on honeybees).
Dissemination
Upon completion of the project, results will be disseminated to the Cardano Community as well as to the general public through the ongoing campaign in an effort to increase awareness on the bee problem caused by us humans.
Blockchain is powerful and Cardano has the means to bring on board anyone that wants to be part of it, including the bees and their keepers. Honeybees on Blockchain seeks to generate a high impact on businesses, startups, as well as professionals and entrepreneurs. Seeks to show that even daily life situations can be on blockchain and by removing the middle man and automating processes, blockchain solutions are even more powerful.
By integrating the bees work on blockchain, beekeepers enter a global competition and have access to modern tools to expand their role and their business without the middle man. Putting the bees' work on blockchain opens the way to other small businesses and professionals aiming to become part of Cardano's family through innovative services offered on the blockchain. As such, the promise of large-scale benefits of this technology will be closer to fulfilment.
The risks and challenges foreseen are:
Due to the instability of the bee population, the number of beehives that will be assigned cannot be secured. If such a problem is encountered, cooperation with beekeepers located in Greece will be an option.
Beekeepers might be reluctant to the idea of blockchain just out of ignorance. Prior to signing up the beehives, beekeepers will be informed about Cardano and the benefits of entering a new world of business that will also benefit their work.
NFT buyers might be reluctant to spend Cardano thinking that the bee population of the beehive they will adopt may die, thus losing their investment. This is an ethical issue. Supporting a beehive is not a for profit investment, it is an investment on ones future in this world. You invest in the bees, you invest for your future.