Breakpoint 2023: GainForest

Summary

The speaker introduces Gain Forest, a mission-driven initiative leveraging Solana blockchain, AI, and remote sensing to combat global deforestation. Highlighting individuals like Nandu from Uganda, who benefits from sustainable honey production, and ecopreneurs like Silvino in Paraguay, the presentation showcases innovative solutions like traceable honey and dynamic NFTrees. Gain Forest's 'Measure to Earn' technology empowers local communities through education, funding, and technology, promoting biodiversity and climate mitigation, all while emphasizing Solana's eco-friendly impact.

Takeaways

• 🌳 The speaker is introducing the story of Nandu, a resident of Baboni village in eastern Uganda, to highlight the connection between local livelihoods and environmental conservation.
• 🐝 Bees and Trees, a partner organization, incentivizes communities to protect trees by providing access to the honey market, creating an additional revenue stream and a safety net during crop failure periods.
• 🍯 Nandu is presented as an example of someone benefiting from this system, selling 100% traceable honey, which is a direct result of the symbiotic relationship between trees and bees.
• 🌏 Sim, the co-founder of Rainforest Foundation, is on a mission to tackle global deforestation using remote sensing technology, satellite images, drones, and blockchain (Solana).
• 🛰️ Rainforest Foundation uses cutting-edge technology to monitor and protect forests, ensuring that local communities are part of the digital economy and are rewarded for their conservation efforts.
• 🌡️ The script emphasizes the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, with examples of extreme weather events and the decline in global biodiversity since the 1980s.
• 💡 Rainforest Foundation chooses to build on Solana due to its speed, energy efficiency, and global reach, which aligns with their goal of empowering remote communities to protect the environment.
• 🌳 The script introduces other 'ecopreneurs' like Silvino from Paraguay, who sells NFTs on Solana to support conservation efforts, demonstrating the integration of technology and environmental protection.
• 🔢 The 'Measure to Earn' impact investing technology uses smart contracts and AI to verify project data and release funds to conservation partners, promoting transparency and efficiency in funding.
• 📈 The script showcases the use of AI algorithms for analyzing tree cover, counting trees and biodiversity, and detecting changes in land use, emphasizing the importance of data in conservation efforts.
• 🌐 The environmental impact of Solana's energy efficiency is compared to the carbon footprint of households in different countries, highlighting the platform's eco-friendly approach to blockchain technology.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the presentation?

The main topic of the presentation is the use of technology, particularly blockchain and AI, to tackle global deforestation and support local communities in sustainable practices.

Who is Nandu and what is her connection to the Mount Elgon National Park?

Nandu is a resident of Baboni village in eastern Uganda, located at the foot of Mount Elgon National Park. Her connection is that she is part of the local community that has been incentivized to protect trees through the honey market, which is linked to the ecosystem of the park.

What is the role of Bees and Trees in the local community mentioned in the script?

Bees and Trees is a local disruptor and partner organization that changed the narrative by providing incentives for people like Nandu to protect trees, thus creating an additional revenue stream through honey production.

What is the significance of 100% traceable honey mentioned by the speaker?

The 100% traceable honey signifies a product that can be tracked from its source, ensuring authenticity and transparency, which is a result of the partnership with Gain Forest and the integration of technology in the supply chain.

What is Gain Forest's mission and how does it relate to technology?

Gain Forest's mission is to tackle global deforestation. It relates to technology by using remote sensing, satellite images, drones, and blockchain (specifically Solana) to empower people in the global South to become part of the digital economy while protecting nature.

What are the three key reasons for Gain Forest choosing Solana as their blockchain platform?

The three key reasons for choosing Solana are its speed, energy efficiency, and global reach, which are essential for empowering remote areas and supporting environmental protection initiatives.

What is the concept of 'ecopreneurs' mentioned in the script?

Ecopreneurs, a term coined in the script, refers to individuals who are environmentally conscious entrepreneurs, leveraging technology to support sustainable practices and conservation efforts.

How does Silvino from Paraguay use Solana to support his conservation efforts?

Silvino uses Solana to sell NFTs (non-fungible tokens) representing plots of land he is protecting. These dynamic NFTrees change based on the data from the land, allowing supporters to contribute to conservation through the purchase of these NFTs.

What is the 'Measure to Earn' impact investing technology and how does it work?

The 'Measure to Earn' impact investing technology uses smart contracts that are triggered when project partners upload data. The data is verified using AI, and once confirmed, funds are released to the partners. This system promotes transparency, accountability, and direct support for conservation projects.

How does Gain Forest utilize AI and drone technology in their projects?

Gain Forest uses AI to analyze data and images collected by drones, which helps in monitoring biodiversity, tree cover, and land use changes. This technology also aids in educating and training local communities to use drones and crypto wallets, empowering them with the skills for the digital economy.

What is the significance of the carbon footprint comparison made with Solana's global footprint?

The comparison highlights Solana's energy efficiency and eco-friendliness by showing that its annual global carbon footprint is equivalent to the household carbon output of a significant number of households in various countries, emphasizing the environmental benefits of using Solana for blockchain applications.

How does the script address the broader issue of global carbon emissions and deforestation?

The script addresses the issue by emphasizing the role of technology in conservation and the paradox of a few companies being responsible for a large portion of global carbon emissions. It also discusses the importance of measuring and treasuring biodiversity to combat deforestation.

Outlines

00:00

🌳 Sustainable Livelihoods and Deforestation Prevention

The speaker begins by introducing Nandu, a resident of Baboni village in eastern Uganda, who exemplifies the intersection of technology and environmental conservation. Nandu's community has traditionally faced a dilemma between preserving trees and growing crops. However, the introduction of bees and trees by a local disruptor has changed this narrative, offering incentives for protecting trees, which in turn supports biodiversity and provides an additional revenue stream through honey production. The speaker then transitions to the role of Gain Forest, a company leveraging remote sensing, satellite images, drones, and Solana blockchain technology to combat global deforestation. The goal is to empower individuals like Nandu to use technology to protect nature and integrate into the digital economy, emphasizing the importance of financial incentives that do not compromise environmental sustainability.

05:02

🌐 Empowering Ecopreneurs with Technology

The speaker proceeds to introduce other 'ecopreneurs' who are leveraging technology to protect the environment. Highlighting Silvino from Paraguay, who sells NFTs on the Solana blockchain to fund environmental conservation efforts, the speaker explains how dynamic NFTs represent land plots and change based on real-world data, such as fires. Another ecopreneur, Julius from Kenya, is mentioned for utilizing 'measure to earn' impact investing technology, which uses smart contracts to release funds upon verification of project data. The speaker emphasizes the importance of education and training in local communities to use drones and crypto wallets, preparing them for the digital economy and the global economy's next era.

10:02

🛠️ Leveraging AI and Blockchain for Environmental Conservation

The speaker delves into the technical aspects of Gain Forest's operations, focusing on the use of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. They discuss the tree cover algorithm that measures tree density and count in forests and urban areas, the biodiversity counting algorithm that can enumerate animals like elephants in reforestation projects, and the analysis of satellite images to detect changes in land use. The speaker also touches on the importance of measuring and treasuring biodiversity, as well as the role of technology in verifying land ownership and analyzing drone images with AI. The presentation includes a demonstration of how drone mapping functions and the significance of data storage in the 'Green Globe,' which serves as a repository for all collected environmental data.

15:04

🌱 Reflecting on Technology's Role in Nature Conservation

In the final paragraph, the speaker reflects on the broader implications of technology in nature conservation. They discuss the cost efficiency and energy efficiency of the Solana blockchain, comparing its carbon footprint to households in various countries. The speaker also addresses the paradox of global carbon emissions, noting that a small number of companies are responsible for a significant portion of emissions. They conclude with a call to action for AI talent to contribute to 'AI for good' and highlight the success of their partnership with Nandu, who now sells her honey with 100% traceability thanks to Solana technology. The speaker leaves the audience with thoughts on how nature can benefit from the latest technologies and the role humans can play in this endeavor.

Keywords

💡Flu

Flu, short for influenza, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. In the script, the speaker mentions having the flu, which is a personal detail that adds a humanizing touch to the presentation and sets a humble tone for the audience's understanding and empathy.

💡Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands and is mentioned in the script as the location where the presentation is taking place. This geographical reference situates the event and provides context for the audience, indicating that the speaker is addressing a potentially international group.

💡Nandu

Nandu is a person introduced in the script who lives in Baboni village in eastern Uganda. The mention of Nadu's name and her location is significant as it personalizes the narrative and connects the global issue of deforestation to individual stories, making the topic more relatable and impactful.

💡Mount Elgon National Park

Mount Elgon National Park is a protected area in Uganda, and its mention in the script establishes the ecological context of the story. It is relevant because it ties the local community's livelihood to the broader environmental challenges and conservation efforts.

💡Bees and Trees

Bees and Trees is referred to as a local disruptor and partner in the script. It represents an organization or initiative that has changed the narrative around deforestation by incentivizing the protection of trees and access to the honey market, illustrating a sustainable approach to conservation.

💡Solana

Solana is a blockchain platform mentioned in the script as part of the technological solution to global deforestation. It is highlighted for its speed, energy efficiency, and global reach, which are critical for the implementation of the gain Forest project's goals.

💡Gain Forest

Gain Forest is the organization behind the speaker and the main subject of the presentation. It is on a mission to tackle global deforestation using technology like remote sensing, satellite images, drones, and blockchain, specifically Solana. The script emphasizes its role in empowering people to protect nature and become part of the digital economy.

💡Ecopreneurs

Ecopreneurs is a term coined in the script to describe individuals who are entrepreneurial in environmental conservation. The script introduces several ecopreneurs, like Nadu and Silvino, who use technology to protect the environment and benefit from it economically, showcasing the intersection of ecology and entrepreneurship.

💡NFTs

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are unique digital assets that represent ownership of a particular item or piece of content. In the script, Silvino sells NFTs of land he is protecting on the Solana blockchain, demonstrating an innovative way to fund environmental conservation efforts.

💡Measure to Earn

Measure to Earn is a term used in the script to describe an impact investing technology that uses smart contracts to release funds when project partners upload and verify data. It represents a shift from traditional donations to a more accountable and transparent system of funding environmental projects.

💡DeCAF App

The DeCAF App is mentioned in the script as the platform used by gain Forest and its partners for managing and verifying data related to environmental projects. It is an essential tool for the operation of the Measure to Earn system, highlighting the integration of technology in conservation efforts.

💡AI

AI, or artificial intelligence, is referenced in the script as a technology used to verify data uploaded by project partners. It plays a crucial role in the gain Forest project by automating the verification process, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in environmental conservation work.

💡Drone Mapping

Drone mapping is a technique mentioned in the script where drones capture images used to create detailed maps of land areas. It is an essential part of gain Forest's methodology for gathering data on biodiversity and land use, showcasing the use of advanced technology in environmental monitoring.

💡KYC

KYC, which stands for 'Know Your Customer', is a program mentioned in the script for verifying the ownership of land plots before analyzing them with drones. It is a critical step in ensuring the legitimacy and accuracy of the environmental data collected by gain Forest.

💡Carbon Footprint

Carbon footprint is a measure of the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, or product. In the script, the carbon footprint of Solana's blockchain is compared to household emissions to emphasize its energy efficiency and environmental friendliness.

Highlights

The speaker is presenting with the flu and asks for understanding if they need to cough during the presentation.

Introduction of Nandu, a resident of Baboni village in eastern Uganda, whose community has been impacted by the integration of blockchain technology.

The local disruptor 'Bees and Trees' incentivizes people like Nandu to protect trees and access the honey market, creating an additional revenue stream.

Nandu sells 100% traceable honey, showcasing the practical application of blockchain in enhancing product authenticity.

Introduction of Gain Forest, a mission to tackle global deforestation using remote sensing, satellite images, drones, and Solana blockchain.

Gain Forest aims to integrate technology with nature conservation, empowering people like Nandu to participate in the digital economy.

The importance of protecting natural areas to prevent destruction and enhance landscape restoration, biodiversity, soil fertility, and climate mitigation.

The current climate crisis, with increasing extreme weather events, highlights the urgency of environmental protection efforts.

Gain Forest's use of Solana for its speed, energy efficiency, and global reach to empower remote communities financially.

Introduction of ecopreneurs like Silvino from Paraguay, who sells NFTs on Solana to support land conservation.

Dynamic NF trees, a novel concept where NFTs change based on land data, such as burning in the case of wildfires.

Julius from Kenya uses 'measure to earn' impact investing technology, combining smart contracts with AI to verify project data and release funds.

The DECA app, used by ecopreneurs for offramping funds, and its role in the ecosystem of conservation and technology.

Gain Forest's educational role in training local communities to use drones and crypto wallets, fostering technological literacy.

Drone mapping and AI analysis for land ownership verification and biodiversity data collection.

The concept of 'measure to earn' or 'measure to treasure', emphasizing the importance of measuring and valuing biodiversity.

Solana's impressive energy efficiency and its environmental footprint compared to household emissions in various countries.

The paradox of the planet, where a few companies contribute to the majority of carbon emissions, despite technological advancements.

AI algorithms for tree cover, tree counting, biodiversity measurement, and land use change detection, enhancing conservation efforts.

The Green Globe, a digital repository for all project data, showcasing the integration of technology in conservation data management.

The planting of a mangrove seedling in the Philippines, symbolizing the long-term impact and digital preservation of conservation efforts.

Gain Forest's current scaling opportunities, including funding, customer acquisition, conservation community support, and AI talent recruitment.

Nandu's success story with the new packaging of her organic, 100% traceable honey, leveraging the power of Solana.

Transcripts

hello

everybody first of all um my flu came

with me to Amsterdam so I kindly ask you

um to excuse me if I need to C during my

presentation but I have some fantastic

stories about some fantastic people to

tell you and I didn't want you to miss

out of them and that's why I'm here

today and the first fantastic person I

will like to introduce to you is

nandu nandu lives in baboni village in

eastern Uganda at the foot of the mount

algen National

Park and you might ask yourself what

nandu the mount algen National Park and

all of this have to do with

Solana and I'm here to make the long

story very short and tell you that we

brought nandu on Shane but before we go

go into the blockchain part of the

story um let me tell you more about

nandu and her local

community so in this part of Uganda

where nandu is

living um people and Farmers long

believed that they must choose between

trees and crops in other words they

would cut down trees to plant

crops and there is a local disruptor

called bees and trees who's our partner

who changed the

narrative be and trees gave people like

nandu an incentive to protect the trees

access to the honey Market sometimes it

can be as simple as that now the trees

nourish the bees the Beast generate

honey and this creates an additional

Revenue stream for them and a which is a

safety net during crop failure

periods nandu on the other hand as you

can see has a smile on her face selling

what I like to call 100% traceable

honey I'm Sim co-founder of gain forest

and uh with gain Forest we are on a

mission to tackle Global

deforestation we have some secret

weapons a little bit of fun remote

sensing satellite images and drones and

a little bit of Solana

magic so you're thinking stopping

deforestation making money with all of

this um why is this woman at on stage at

breakpoint um well not quite so most

Financial incentives out there often

lead us down a path where nature takes a

back seat and with gain Forest we are

here to change the

game our goal is to make people like

nandu take advantage of the latest tech

and become part of the digital

economy so this story actually goes far

beyond nandu and the farm because by

doing this we protect um these protected

areas and prevent that they are being

destroyed and these trees that are being

kept uh Enhance Landscape restoration

they support on Farm

biodiversity improve soil fertility and

assist climate

mitigation and at gain Forest we are

dedicated to empower the global South to

use technology to fuel their wallet

especially because they are protecting

nature and not exploiting

it so yeah current situation um snafu um

I know this melting Planet kind of looks

cute um but we all know that this crazy

storm outside Syrian is not going to be

the last one and we need to dress warmly

um we need to be ready for everything

thing like from first world problems

like flights cancelled um I'm person my

flight was cancelled um terrible

floodings like we saw in Libya and

NeverEnding heat waves like we saw this

summer across Europe and lots of other

places in the

globe and as climate crisis gets worse

and worse and worse so you see from the

left to the right global

temperatures um biodiversity since the

1980s on the bottom right we see a very

left uh green uh biodiversity going to

the right only a few gray stripes um are

basically uh left and this is also where

we with gain Forest come in so we build

on Solana for three key reasons um Speed

Energy Efficiency and Global reach so

when we go and oh and most importantly

because Solana means business and when

we go to stop Global deforestation and

reward it we need to empower and improve

the financial well-being of people in

the most remote areas CU otherwise there

is no chance to protect the

environment so you met nandu and I would

like to introduce you a few other

ecopreneurs that's how we like to call

them because they equally deserve to

take advantage of the best tech out

there and um as you can see all this

that's why when we take the venture to

go to these areas and power thean banked

we take Solana with

us and this is

svino a very proud

paraguayan he lives in the area adjacent

to the defens defensores chako National

Park um it takes you like two days from

the capital of Paraguay aunion to get to

where syo's living and that that's if

the weather conditions are good because

the roads are unpaved um if it's raining

like today it might take a little

longer but the interesting part about

svino is that

silvino actually sells nfts on

Solana so if you want to support silvino

you can purchase a plot um of the land

he's protecting a hexagon with our mint

and meat technology and raise funds to

the areas in um to the to the land plots

on his

land um and these are not just nfts um

svino is actually um taking this very

serious our friend um these are Dynamic

NF trees so they change based on the

data on the land so for example if there

is a white fire this NF tree will start

burning um there is a ah exactly so let

me also introduce you to Julius Julius

lives in Kenya different continent

different story and Julius is a local

hero who supports multiple local people

in taking advantage of our so-called

measure to earn impact investing

technology unlike traditional donations

this technology uses smart contracts and

they are triggered when the project

Partners upload data we verify this data

using Ai and then release the funds to

them to offramp they all use the one and

only decaf app a big shout out to far

and Rick and the rest of the Fantastic

decaf team out

here we work with more than 25 nature

Partners um around the globe and I would

like to take a few minutes to show you

our measure to earn impact investing

technology so basically what happens is

that our project Partners go out into

the woods and into the fields they take

manual data um sometimes they take data

with their phone and then upload it into

our data upload flatform this is someone

taking notes of the tree measurements

he's been taking here um we have a local

project partner of Julius taking

pictures of tree and animal species in

the local forest and uploading them

equally onto our data upload platform

that permits us to gather as much data

on biodiversity as possible launch a

drone and we actually also teach them

how to fly a drone so here you see um a

trial shot on taking drone images and

this is one of the things we are very

proud of it's not only about channeling

funds to these projects but it's also

about Education and Training the local

community to learn how to use drones to

learn how to use a crypto wallet and

really bring on and be ready for the

next change um and the next era of our

global

economy going to see a little bit how

drone mapping functions you take off at

a specific

location need to make sure that the

Drone flies high enough so all this kind

of information is being transmitted when

we work with our local

Partners typically they send us over

their land plot and we have exact

knowledge about the area we verify the

ownership beforehand with a specific kyc

program and then um analyze the drone

images with AI I'll show you a little

bit more about that um as we move

forward it's called measure to earn I

like to call it measure to treasure we

cannot treasure what's out there if we

don't measure it and you saw the graph

on biodiversity earlier there is so

little left that we still have we should

better measure it and then all work

together to

treasure so there is one more thing I

actually would like to talk about um

when it comes to Solana we all know

Solana is incredibly coste efficient and

this is closely tied to its impressive

Energy Efficiency it comes hand in

hand here you can here you can see

Solana's um current Global footprint on

an annual basis which is approximately

9,500

tons and to put this into a perspective

the average carbon footprint of a

household in the Netherlands is about

8.5

tons um in the United States this number

roughly doubles um and in Uganda it

drops down to

0.13 tons per household so in terms of

emission Solana's impact is aen to the

carbon output of approximately

1,150 Dutch

households um 575 us American

households and

75,000

Ugandan

households I don't think I need to

explain further why we choose to use

Solana um but I want to take a moment

and also take a side note on mentioning

that while saana Solana provides this

robust and eco-friendly ecosystem to

allow us to

grow the the the reality is that

globally approximately 100 companies are

responsible for 70% of all carbon

emissions um this is just the Paradox of

the planet that we are living in and I

thought it's worth mentioning um here on

stage to just show and put things um

into perspective before I jump on um to

the next part of my presentation which

is on artificial

intelligence a little bit more um

interesting and moving forward I

promised you I would show you some of

her algorithms and how they work um I

picked three topics for you today so the

first one is the tree cover algorithm

that we have here on the left side you

see a drone image of

um a forest that we've been taking we

measure the tree density and the tree

cover in this area but if you look at it

uh you also see that each tree actually

can be counted and this algorithm we can

use in forests but also in urban areas

as you can see on the right measure the

diameter and the number of trees that

are out

there um on the right side still a

little bit on the tree counting

algorithm here you see how things work

in in in the back end and on the left

side you see a picture it's actually a

video that Julius uh who you met earlier

sent us where we also

count biodiversity in this particular

example we count the number of elephants

in one of the project sites he is

monitoring and this was a reforestation

project where more and more elephants

after the reforest station were

returning

one more thing out here this these are

um satellite images a little bit more

back to the basic no phone no drone uh

still very interesting cuz we see the

change in land use uh on the right side

and on the left side you can see some of

the analysis that we are running to also

detect if certain products

or things you want to purchase or

project Partners actually are at a

higher risk of deforestation or things

are being delivered from areas where

deforestation took place to um have a

better idea especially with the upcoming

changes in law in the European Union on

deforestation free

products this is our green Globe um this

is where we store all of the data our

project Partners sent us we take the

time to put in every tree so we'll zoom

in and as you hover over

the land plot um there are images of the

trees in this area which will load

up and yeah here here you see them

so coming to like slightly the end of my

presentation I wanted to share this

image with you as well this is a

mangrove seedling being planted in the

kagu region of the Philippines

and this is what we try to put on chain

and I think it's quite special and quite

unique to have all these data

digitalized and saved forever and

hopefully this tree will outlive us

that's uh my personal goal so want to

leave you with a few thoughts

here um how can nature 2 benefit from

the latest

Technologies and what role can humans

play it's not only for gain Forest but

also something I thought it would be

cool to share with you as food for

thought as as we end the

presentation with gain forest or current

scaling opportunities are of course

funding um to scale our

operations uh looking for additional

customers for services and looking

forward to funding more and more

conservation communities and of course

we are very open for AI talent that

wants to work in the space of AI for

good

um nandu she's very happy so she's um

selling in the meantime her 100%

tracable honey and harnessing the power

of Solana so this is the new packaging

of her product since our partnership

started um if you would like a jar of

her organic and 100% traceable honey I'm

around just uh happy to meet you all and

have a fantastic time here in

Amsterdam