Cardano Forest [blocktree.asia] - Foster Trust & Trackability in Reforestation

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Ky Tong

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

ky.tong@blocktree.asia

Additional applicants

Npaquoc87@gmail.com - Brit Nguyen

tranthanhtung37@gmail.com - Tran Thanh Tung

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

12

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

Yes

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.” .

It's technical dependency. Our goal is to utilize dNFTs in our solution, which allows metadata updates based on rules within smart contracts. This technology enables donors and sponsors to track the progress of planted trees and the impact through their life span via a only one NFT. However, Cardano has not supported this technologyyet. As an alternative, we are using an NFT Collection, where each update of a location corresponds to a new NFT in the same group.

Through an NFT Collection, each NFT represents a unique asset within a group. This group represents the progress of a planting site, with each NFT representing a specific update. The metadata of each NFT reflects the details of that update, which allows donors and sponsors to track the progress of the project as a whole.

While we wait for Cardano to support dNFTs officially, we are watching the progress of CIP-0068, which proposes support for dNFTs to the Cardano. We hope that this proposal will be accepted and realized very soon so that we can fully utilize dNFTs in our project. You can find more information about CIP-0068 at https://github.com/cardano-foundation/CIPs/tree/master/CIP-0068.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

What are not open-source:

• Source code
• Design file
• The technical documents that support implementation

We are a SIB (Social Impact Business), not an open source developer. We provide services for partners and there are reasons to keep our code base closed, such as privacy of customers, security, business IPs... However, we think what matters most is about the impact created.

The wider community may be benefited from our education content and engagement activities held by BlockTree. We publish them all freely on our Impact Hub so that people can find and learn how to support the Earth at their own resources & will.

[METADATA] Category of Proposal

dApp

[METADATA] SDG rating

13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

We are seeking a fund to continue with the third phase of our project. More information about the previous phases which were funded on Fund 8 and Fund 9 is as follows links :

• The Fund 8 proposal: https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/396832. Status: closed
• The Fund 9 proposal: https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/9/f9-dapps-products-and-integrations/cardano-forest-blocktreeasia. Status: Completed Milestone 1,2; in submission for final milestones, awaiting approval.

Further, we are also listed in public newspapers. You can read about us here: https://www.sggp.org.vn/trong-mot-cay-xanh-chua-lanh-dat-me-post642839.html.

Also, we've already had the license as a Social Impact Business, which commits at least 51% profit will be spent on reforestation works. https://masothue.com/0317775246-cong-ty-co-phan-cong-nghe-blocktree

PROBLEMS:

The reforestation is one of the best & easiest ways to fight climate change impact, which is the current issue for the whole world, especially in developing countries in Asia. We also plan to expand our activities for other countries in Asia: China, Korea, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia...where are being seriously impacted by climate change.

Reforestation is gaining popularity among individuals and corporations, especially in Vietnam. However, we see many reforestation efforts fail to attract the donation fund/sponsorship to achieve their intended impact due to a variety of following challenges:

Critical problems in reforestration (original image)

1. Lack of proper planning:

  Many corporates/sponsors lacking the expertise and knowledge & resources to develop effective sustainability plans. This leads to fragmented actions that are often seasonal, with little long-term impact. They just stops at the seasonal activities for branding purpose.

2. Transparency issue:

Double spending is common due to a lack of reliable data and third-party verification services. Without accurate and authentic data, it's hard for corporations and concerned individuals to donate to these efforts.

3. Lack of standardization in data management:

Paper-based systems are still prevalent in recording & reporting data, which leads to a lack of trust in the accuracy of reports. Furthermore, it creates barrier for funding efforts.

4. Lack of community involvement:

Many local communities are feeling disconnected from the reforestation efforts in their own land. This disconnection leads to a lack of buy-in and participation from the community. Morerover, the locals may be the one who triggers the action of deforestration in the planting site.

SOLUTIONS:

Our project aims to address these challenges with a holistic approach that focuses on fostering trust and trackability of reforestration works.

Overall BlockTree's process to foster trust & trackability (orginal image)

1. Holistics toolset for tree planting organization:

We empower them to transform from paper-based to more digitalized by providing:

(1) Mini-ERP to help them streamline the planning, execution, and reporting process.

(2) Data collection devices, which uses BlockTree's application to help their field workers to capture the ground data then transfer directly to the multi-layer verification engine. View the demo data collection app here.

Through mobile-device-management & other advanced algorithms, we ensure the authenticity of the ground data and also standardize the data so that it can be reliable.

2. Consultancy for Sponsors/Donors:

We offer consulting services to help corporations/sponsors embed sustainability into their business activities as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Enterprise Social Governance(ESG). Our experts can assist them with crafting a tailored strategy aligning with their goals. We also connect our corporate customers with planting organizations in our networks that fit their plan.

In Vietnam, we are currently connecting many organizations and individuals as sponsors to 3 tree planting organizations/inviduals with a capacity of planting 500,000 trees in one year. We are also expanding the network of tree planting organisations for greater impact. Find the detail here:

https://blocktree.asia/forest-link/

https://blocktree.asia/iag-academy-showcase/

https://blocktree.asia/an-lac-eco-farm/

List of individual sponsors: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10Jfsbqm3GkcEzW3gmQsAjEz7-F4kf6pF/htmlview

3. Showcase tools for Sponsors/Donors:

Additionally, BlockTree offers unique ways for corporates/sponsors customers to showcase their impact through NFTs and showcase portal, providing transparency and educational opportunities. The postivie impact created is calculated based on the model of https://www.itreetools.org/.

Find the sample of NFT version 1 here: https://pool.pm/asset1h7kxjvlscsa0x5c65knzw2dhy00fmnk5hv7dhz

Find the sample of showcase portah here: https://blocktree.asia/forest-link/

The data flow in BlockTree's solution (original image)

4. Tracking tools for Sponsors/Donors:

Our reporting system is designed to be seamless and trustworthy, which enables us to provide real-time updates to our customers via APIs and BI dashboards. Find the sample dashboard here: https://lookerstudio.google.com/s/h4ahDfLRS74

Furthermore, every transaction that comes to/from us will be tracked with transparency via the bank's public statement. Find the evidence here: https://thiennguyen.app/user/blocktree

By providing these solutions, we believe that we can foster trust and trackability in the reforestation process, leading to increased engagement and impact. The ultimate goal of us is gathering everyone together and makeing them join hands in the work.

Our project is more than just a digital transformation/tech solution; it is an environment to promote sustainable development and create a positive impact on environment. By leveraging blockchain technology, we can make more trust, which leads to more participation of people. Those efforts contribute to the broader goal of sustainable development, beyond the scope of this challenge as well as Catalyst.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

The benefits of this solution for the Cardano ecosystem are numerous.

1.Increased Adoption & Innovation:

By using Cardano as the key platform for BlockTree, we help to drive adoption & growth of the Cardano blockchain. Through our efforts, we demonstrate its capabilities to potential users and partners. The project can attract more developers, entrepreneurs, and investors to the ecosystem, leading to increased innovation and growth. We are also working with local government authorities (Ben Tre, Quang Tri, Tra Vinh) to introduce our solutions that can help them to understand more about the real use case of blockchain technology. Our end products will be NFTs that will be easily transferred/accessed via Cardano blockchain and will also bring more new users to Cardano Ecosystem.

2. Positive Environmental & Social Impact:

Our project's focus on sustainability and impact on environment, which aligns with the values of the Cardano - committed to creating positive social impact through blockchain technology. By using Cardano to support the planting of trees, our project can help to promote the platform's social mission and contribute to a more sustainable future for the Earth.

3. Use Case Validation:

BlockTree uses Cardano as the underlying infrastructure, which can help to validate the platform's capabilities and demonstrate its potential for real-world applications, more than just crypto currency. This effort can help to build trust & confidence in the platform among potential users and partners, which increase motivation of joining.

4. Innovation Promoting:

BlockTree uses NFTs as an innovative way to showcase the impact and provide transparency. This use can help to demonstrate the potential of NFTs in particular and blockchain in general. Our project can help to inspire other developers and entrepreneurs to explore other applications in the same innovative way.

Overall, BlockTree's focus on sustainability and environemental impact & the use of innovative applications and digital tools are bringing tremendous benefits to the Cardano ecosystem and help to drive adoption and growth.

We estimate that we can attract 10 corporate customers (big brands) within 12 months of operation (after getting funded), with a target of planting at least 250,000 trees in that timeframe. Additional, we can reach, engage and bring Cardano to ~ 25,000 end-users (including brands' customers, local community, sponsors network...). Our current presence on social channels (at July 2023) are:

• Website: 3,600 users visited during the first 6 months.
• Facebook: 6,066 followers
• Telegram Vietnam: 275 members
• Telegram Global: 47 members
• Zalo Group: 205 members
• Linked In: 436 followers
• Youtube: 40 subscribers

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

To measure the success of our project, we are tracking these metrics:

1.Number of corporate/sponsors: This is the ultimate measurement for our product-market fit.

2. Number of trees planted: We track the number of trees planted through our solution, as this is one of the top goals of our project.

3. Digital tools adoption rate: The adoption of your digital tools, such as mini-ERP and data collection devices are ciritical for us. By tracking the number of users and the quality of the data collected, the percentage of process digitized, we can assess the effectiveness of our tools and identify areas for improvement in product life cycle.

4. Impact on the environment: We are assessing the impact of our solution on the environment, including the carbon sequestration potential of the planted trees and the local community income directly generated from reforestation work as well as the involvement of them in the works.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

We intend to share our output and result of our completed project with a wide range of stakeholders:

• Corporate customers/sponsors;
• Local communities;
• Planting organizations;
• Environmental organizations;
• Cardano community;
• The broader community in general;

We will use various channels such as social media (Telegram, Zalo, facebook, youtube, linked-in...), our website, and newspapers to spread out the information and updates about the success stories and transformed lands.

We will also take part in relevant events and conferences to showcase our solutions and share our learning points with others in sustainability and blockchain communities. We think our findings may help to promote the adoption of sustainable practices in businesses and also the use of blockchain technology to solve real-world problems.

Regarding research and development activities, we ensure to use the results generated from the project to improve our solutions (Actually, we are actively doing it by monthly product updates). We get feedback from our customers and stakeholders to identify areas for improvement and new opportunities. Besides, we also continue to monitor industry trends and technologies to ensure that our solution remains relevant and not out-of-date.

We are also connecting with experts in conservation and agriculture to help us understand more about natual world and how to benefit it best. We are planning to use IoT devices to capture the real impact data, not just estimation so that we can have the realistics insights.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

We have something to be proud of that will help to demonstrate high levels of trust and accountability:

1.Actual results: As mentioned above, we've already planted 12.500 trees with 3 planting organizations & serveral sponsors recently. They are happy using our solutions and actively introducing them to their networks.

2. Expertise: Our team has members & advisors that are experienced in sustainability, reforestation, blockchain technology & product development. All of them are 8+ years in their filed. We have experts in our team who can provide consulting services to corporates/sponsors and planting organizations to ensure that their efforts are well-planned and executed effectively.

3. Technology: We've already developed a toolset, including mini-ERP and data collection devices that empower planting organizations to streamline their planning, execution, and reporting processes. We are the first and only in Vietnamese having that holistics suite. By using them, we can ensure that data is standardized and reliable, which is critical in building trust and accountability.

4. Multi-layer verification process: We've running a multi-layer verification process to ensure the authenticity & accuracy of the ground data. This process involves using various params and verification methods to ensure that the data is credible.

5. Transparency: We are committed to transparency and accountability in all aspects of our project. We are providing updates to our partners & customers via channels & APIs. We also use NFTs to provide a unique and transparent way for customers and sponsors to showcase the impact of their efforts. You may find our reports with evidences in the links of Fund 8 and Fund 9 in the head of this proposal for reference.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The quantified goals:

• Work with 10 corporate customers (big brandnames) to get the donation to reforestation
• On-boarding at least 3 additional tree planting organisations for a capacity of 500.000 trees/per year.
• To plant 250,000 trees as a significant effort to promote reforestation as a means of mitigating climate change in Vietnam;
• To reach, engage 25,000 individuals in sustainability efforts & stories online & offline;
• Our social channels impact:
• Website: 10,000 users visited during time of the proposal
• Facebook: 12,850 followers
• Telegram Vietnam: 500 members
• Telegram Global: 100 members
• Zalo Group: 500 members
• Linked In: 1000 followers
• Youtube: 50 subscribers

Besides the above quantified goal, we also evaluate our impact via the following measures:

Market research: We will conduct a medium market research to assess the demand for our solution among potential corporate customers, sponsors, and planting organizations. This research may involve surveys, interviews, and focus groups to gather feedback on our approach and identify areas for improvement/directions to go mass in the market.

Pilot projects: We are also conducting pilot projects with selected planting organizations and corporate customers to test our problem-solution fit. These pilot projects will help us identify unknown challenges and refine our solutions before scaling up. Actually, our concepts have been accepted by Corporates & Planting Organizations as mentioned above with the same validating approaches.

Data analysis: We will analyze the data collected from our system to assess its effectiveness. This analysis may involve tracking KPIs such as the number of trees planted, digital tool adoption, and the level of engagement from corporate customers and sponsors.

Users' feedback: We are continuous gathering feedback from our stakeholders, including planting organizations, corporate customers, sponsors, and environmental organizations, to assess their satisfaction with our solution and identify areas for improvement.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Milestone I: Transparency in donation

• Timeline: 2 months after getting funded.
• Key tasks:
• Product: Integrate the portal that helps individuals track their donation budget into blocketree.asia website with transparency.
• Product: Provide individual sponsors a way to query their historical data of donation & get online certification via their name/phone number.
• Operations: Collaborate with professional firms to plan about implementing IoT devices on the planting sites & define data to be collected.
• Partnership: Acquire 2 additional Planting Organizations in Vietnam.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• The donation tracking portal is integrated into the blocketree.asia website and is easily accessible from the homepage & individuals can easily track their donation budget in real-time.
• The portal also provides data on how the donations are being used and the impact they are having on the environment.
• Individuals can get online certification from sponsors via their name or phone number.
• The IoT test plan includes a timeline for implementation and a budget for the project as well as defines data that will be collected by IoT devices.
• The organizations acquired will be listed on BlockTree Website.

Milestone II: More power for the Planter & More secure for the Data

• Timeline: 5 months after getting funded.
• Key tasks:
• Product: Enhance mini ERP with Project Management & HR management function to help them fulfill the Operation journey end2end.
• Product: Upgrade the data collecting app with user authentication through biometrics to ensure authenticity & security.
• Operations: Launch the project with not-yet-to-disclose big Japanese brands in Skincare, which helps to reach up to 50.000 customers & plant 100.000 trees in the Central and South Coast of Vietnam.
• Partnership: Acquire 2 more Corporate Sponsors in Vietnam.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• The project management function includes features such as task assignment, progress tracking, and resource allocation.
• The HR management function includes features such as employee information management, and worklog management.
• The user authentication process is functional, secure and protects the privacy of user data.
• The partnerships earned will be announced on BlockTree Website.

Milestone III: New level of data verification

• Timeline: 7 months after getting funded.
• Key tasks:
• Product: Test run with IoT devices (censors, camera...) to monitor the growth of plants & measure impact.
• Product: Implement advanced anti-cheating mechanisms in BlockTree Admin tool to auto-detect inauthentic data.
• Mobile Devices Management
• Image detection with AI
• Partnership: Acquire 3 more Corporate Sponsors in Vietnam.
• Operations: Start piloting and implementing IoT devices (censors only) in 1 planting site.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• The IoT devices are installed and tested successfully with report accordingly.
• The data collected by the devices is analyzed and reported effectively.
• The mechanisms accurately detect inauthentic data (fake GPS, fake images, not good enough image quality) and prevent fraudulent activities (unauthoroized access, malware set up)
• MDM can log the activities on the worker's devices.

Milestone IV: Real impact updated in a single dNFT

• Timeline: 10 months after getting funded.
• Key tasks:
• Product: New version of NFT that is easier for users to interact and get data. Furthermore, the metadata can be dynamic so that they can get the update seamlessly upon a single NFT.
• Product: Embed data collected from IoT devices into the impact report.
• Partnership: Acquire 2 more Corporate Sponsors in Vietnam.
• Operations: finalize the documentation of guiding upon IoT devices & also update existing process of operations.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• The new version is user-friendly and easy for users to interact with to query the data within, which includes: initial planting data & the updates after; educational content.
• The metadata is dynamic and seamlessly updated upon a single NFT following rules in smart contract.
• The impact report is updated regularly and accurately reflects the progress and impact of the project & is easily accessible to stakeholders and donors.
• The documentation for guiding upon IoT devices is finalized and comprehensive, easy to understand and follow.
• The updated process of operations is communicated clearly to all stakeholders and employees
• The partnerships earned will be announced on BlockTree Website.

Milestone V: Anyone can join & make impact

• Timeline: 12 months after getting funded.
• Key tasks:
• Product: Provide APIs for Organization Sponsors to get the latest data about the progress of their projects for internal use.
• Product: An Impact Hub where people can learn stories around the world about fighting climate change as well as join hands via BlockTree's solution full journey.
• Partnership: Acquire 2 more Corporate Sponsors in Vietnam.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• The APIs provide secure and reliable access to the latest data about the progress of the projects. The APIs are user-friendly and easy for the Organization Sponsors to integrate into their internal systems.
• The Impact Hub provides a user-friendly interface for people to learn stories around the world about fighting climate change, which allows people to join hands via BlockTree's full journey solution.
• The partnerships earned will be announced on BlockTree Website.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Milestone I: Transparency in donation

Deliverables:

• Donation budget tracking portal integrated into blocketree.asia website with transparency
• Database of historical donation data and online certifications queryable by name/phone number
• User-friendly interfaces for accessing and interacting with both functionalities
• Secure authentication and authorization mechanisms for data access

Outputs:

• Real-time updates on donations received and their use, increasing transparency and trust
• Improved accountability and verification of historical donation data and online certifications
• Convenient and user-friendly interfaces for accessing and managing donation records.
• The plan of pilot with IoT devices with budget, timeline and data collection.

Intended outcomes:

• Increased trust and confidence in blocketree.asia as a reliable and trustworthy organization for making donations
• Enhanced transparency and accountability in the donation process
• Improved management of donation records and certifications for individuals.

Milestone II - More power for the Planter & More secure for the Data

Deliverables:

• Project management & HR management functions are integrated into the mini ERP system.
• A new version of data collecting app for worker with biometrics authentication is released.
• Up to 100,000 trees planted in Central and South Coast of Vietnam.
• Successful launch of the project with a not-yet-to-disclose Japanese big brandname in women's skin care, reaching 50,000 customers.
• Project monitoring and evaluation report.

Outputs:

• Improved project management & HR management capabilities with the enhanced mini ERP system.
• Updated field worker app with more security.
• Real-time project progress updates available to the The Japanese Brand organization sponsors through APIs.
• 100,000 trees planted in Central and South Coast of Vietnam to improve environmental impact.
• Successful launch of the The Japanese Brand project, resulting in improved customer satisfaction and brand reputation.
• Project monitoring and evaluation report to ensure project success.

Intended outcomes:

• Improved project delivery and completion within budget and on time.
• Improved data standard & capabilities of planting organization.
• Improved brand awareness and reputation for The Japanese Brand.
• Improved customer loyalty and retention.
• Improved environmental impact and community engagement.

Milestone III - New level of data verification

Deliverables:

• Installed and configured IoT devices for plant growth monitoring.
• Advanced anti-cheating mechanisms (with AI) integrated into the BlockTree Admin tool.

Outputs:

• Improved plant growth monitoring and management.
• Enhanced security and integrity of data in the BlockTree Admin tool.

Intended outcomes:

• Improved environmental impact due to better plant growth management.
• Improved trust in the BlockTree Admin tool and increased adoption of the platform.

Milestone IV - Real impact updated in a single dNFT

Deliverables:

• New version of NFT integrated into the platform.
• User manuals and training materials for all enhancements.
• Data integration from IoT devices into the report.

Outputs:

• New sample of dNFT that enables track multiple updates.
• An IoT data integration system that provides real-time data about planting sites & impact created,
• Project monitoring and evaluation report to ensure project success.

Outcomes:

• Improved user experience due to easier interaction with the NFT and improved data authenticity and security.
• Improved user satisfaction and engagement with the platform.
• Improved data collection and reporting on climate change, leading to more informed decision-making and policy development.
• Set out a standard in reforestation in Vietnam in managing data & reports.

Milestone V - Anyone can join & make impact

Deliverables:

• APIs developed and integrated into the mini ERP system.
• A fully functional digital Impact Hub on the website blocktree.asia
• A collection of stories from around the world about fighting climate change
• BlockTree's solution full journey available for people to join hands in fighting climate change

Outputs:

• Real-time project progress updates available to the Brand organization sponsors through APIs.
• A user-friendly website that allows users to access information about fighting climate change and BlockTree's solution.
• A collection of stories that inspire and motivate people to take action against climate change.
• Project monitoring and evaluation report to ensure project success.

Intended outcomes:

• Increased awareness and knowledge about the impact of climate change and the various solutions available to address it.
• Improved environmental impact and community engagement.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Please find the details about budget here:

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The costs of the project have been carefully considered and calculated based on several factors, including the expertise and resources required to develop and implement our solution, as well as the potential impact of our solution on the environment and society.

The costs of the project are breakdown in details and correspondent with the level of expertise required to develop and implement our solutions. Our team includes experts in social impact, marketing, as well as developers, project & product managers who will work closely together to deliver the project. The costs also include the development and maintenance of our current digital system and also devices purchasing (smartphone for workers, IoT devices...);

In terms of the potential impact of our solution, as mentioned, reforestation is a critical area of sustainability initiatives to fight againse climate change. By planting trees, we can sequester carbon and contribute to the overall health of ecosystems, create lives for communities. Additionally, by promoting sustainable business practices, we can spread out the spirit of living sustainably, which is a core goal of the Cardano ecosystem and also attract wider communities to know about blockchain use cases, in particular Cardano blockchain;

We have carefully considered the costs of the project and benchmarked them with industry standards rates. We are sure that our costs are fair and reasonable while still allowing us to deliver a high-quality solution;

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept