NFT art becomes the blessing of many artists as soon as they are released. NFT, or Non-Fungible Tokens, has rapidly changed how artists are paid, how they can work, create new projects, and take ownership of their art by sitting at home. Through NFTs, the artist can make a digital asset by registering their work on a blockchain.
Be it photographers, painters, or illustrators, NFT is helping them all to find the true success their art deserves. Not only this, but NFT has also become a tool for activism and advocacy, which shows us that NFTs are not only a source of entertainment but can be used for social good.
In terms of raising funds or aiding someone, NFT is proven to be yet another good tool. An Italian photographer Stefano Azario has captured a series of photographs and is selling them as NFTs whose capital re distributed to the subjects in need, bringing positive social change through art and activism.
More about the Azario NFT series is explained below.
Stefano Azario “Not Bored Coffee Farmers”
The idea behind it
The idea behind the NFT art photography was to make investors contribute to the economically less fortunate. In this project, the photographer Stefano Azario visits Chiapas coffee growers in Mexico and meets them. There he got to know how farmers work; they work cooperatively from platforms like EthicHub and take small yearly loans for planting and fertilizers. This way, they avoid monthly loan shark interest rates of up to 20%.
According to him,
“I found my time there personally inspirational and creatively productive. Photographing the farmers was as much fun as it was rewarding; their sense of humor showed off their gleaming gold teeth. I was surprised that the two-hour walk to the makeshift daylight studio hadn’t put a dent in their enthusiasm for the collaboration.”
There he realized that his plan was right overall, “Knowing an element of our exchange was going to benefit their families directly has made the work even more significant. I am proud of the images, keen to show them and give them a life.”
How does it help farmers?
Azario sells his photographs as an NFT on the Open sea platform. All the procedures were paid in cash as the people there don’t own bank accounts. One payment was given to the people living in Bayan under the shade of the biggest and oldest Kapok tree. On the 7th of March 2022, the first NFT was sold, and the cash went to farmer Ibu Putu’s family. Unfortunately, the farmer had passed already.
Another person SPR Cosechando Riqueza also handles cryptocurrency payments on behalf of other farmers. Through these payments, the farmers are encouraged to do better agricultural practices to make higher quality coffee and guarantee a market for their coffee by using their export and distribution chain.
About Stefano Azario
Stefano Azario is a photographer and director best known for his commercial photography. He recently transitioned into a varied work encompassing documentary and fine art. About his photography, he says, “Through my photographic practice, I hope to give a valuable and personal take on the world around me and subjects of interest to me, such as personal development, family, and parenting.”
