Regrò Uses Open Forest Protocol to Restore an Exploited Oak Forest in Tuscany
Open Forest Protocol (OFP) is an exercise in finding new answers for old problems. In the case of Regrò, an artisanal regenerative project for an oak forest in Tuscany, a blockchain-based MRV and carbon financing platform like OFP was the answer to the inefficiencies of the existing system.
Regrò was born in 2019 as a spin-off of the official documentation I was compiling to try to get access to government’s funding for farmers. Bureaucracy, the amount and attitude of middlemen, and timing pushed me away, and I started researching use cases for blockchain in agriculture, looking into projects like AgriLedger. I learned about Open Forest Protocol through the NEAR ecosystem and found it perfectly fitting for Regrò’s needs and ethos.
— Serste, the founder of Regrò
Now, instead of having to go through layers of intermediaries, a project like Regrò can immediately register on OFP and download a mobile app to go out in the field to track the restoration of their forest. On the financing side, thanks to the absence of data upload fees on OFP, Regrò does not have to worry about additional MRV costs. In the long run, OFP can also help Regrò bypass bureaucratic funding processes by providing access to carbon financing schemes.
Founded in 2019 by Societa’ Agricola ‘i prodotti Della Natura’ in Cana, Tuscany, Regrò is primarily an afforestation and reforestation project for an existing oak forest (Quercus pubescens) and nearby stands of juniper, Scottish broom, heather, wild asparagus, blackberry, Mauritanian grass, and helichrysum. Covering 23 hectares of land, the project prioritizes soil rehabilitation, as the land had been severely impacted by overexploitation of the forest for timber and meat production. Serste, the founder of the project, both owns the land and nurtures it herself.
Joining OFP’s forest project network, Serste intends to learn further about reforestation, carbon offsets, and the application of new technologies to protect more forests. In addition to her involvement as a project operator, Serste is also an NFT artist on NEAR, who actively reflects in her art her work on the land.
Serste’s most recent work is a part of “Re,” a regenerative NFT charity auction hosted by OFP.
You can find Serste’s work in this virtual NFT gallery or participate in the auction here.
