The BEESandAPPLE environmental and social project is digitalising flower meadows with the aim of achieving a unique way of tackling two of the biggest challenges of our time at once – protecting biodiversity and providing a basic supply of locally sourced food that is just enough to meet the demand. Blockchain technology makes it easy for individuals and businesses to get involved in this future-focused model and help create new habitats for bees that are guaranteed to be sustainably managed. The ‘Digital Flower Meadow’ also has the potential to make biodiversity a financially attractive option for the agricultural sector because the use of farming land to promote biodiversity is being supported by society.

Using blockchain technology, businesses and individuals can acquire digital shares and pay to directly guarantee that the allocated land is sustainably managed. Full transparency surrounding the process builds the necessary level of trust. Disclosing the shares in apps and so on introduces an element of healthy competition to the sustainability sphere – especially among the younger generation.

The sustainable management is not just an empty promise – it’s a guaranteed right under Austrian law. And the blockchain technology – naturally sustainable in its own right – guarantees full transparency. No changes can be made to the agreed action and all entries can be accessed at all times. This is an example of the digital world being used to protect the real world.

The aim is for shares in the land to be socially acceptable using the true price approach to give everyone in society the opportunity to do their own bit for the planet and support biodiversity. On that basis, each share will cost €1 but will represent a different surface area based on the square metres and management costs. Shares in the land can be purchased via a website or an app.

The launch date of the ‘Digital Flower Meadow’ depends on interest and engagement from all sections of society. Before the programming can officially begin, a minimum number of shares need to be bought to ensure that the investment costs are financially viable in relation to the projects. Any businesses or individuals who are interested can register now online: www.biobienenapfel.deinbeitrag.com.

“With the Green Deal, the EU is taking a leading role in protecting the environment and supporting biodiversity. For me, the ‘Digital Flower Meadow’ is an innovative example of best practice that proves it’s possible and indeed not difficult to involve the whole of society in the necessary structural change.”

“By digitalising flower meadows, the BEESandAPPLE project is taking more than just the next step into the future. It’s making a huge leap forward. We are now in a position to lay the foundations for a brighter future and we need to involve modern technology and make the most of innovative ways forward. The ‘Digital Flower Meadow’ is a huge opportunity to improve the quality of life and living spaces of both people and animals.”