Decentralized Science: A New Paradigm for Urban Ag Research

Decentralized science is an emerging model of scientific research that emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and open access to data and knowledge. It is based on the principles of decentralization, which involves distributing power and decision-making among a network of participants.

The history of decentralized science and the open science movement is rooted in the idea that scientific research should be accessible, transparent, and collaborative. The open science movement gained traction in the late 20th century as a response to the limitations of traditional scientific publishing, which often restricted access to research behind paywalls.

Today, the emergence of blockchain technology and decentralized platforms provides new opportunities to address these limitations. By utilizing blockchain and other decentralized tools, DeSci seeks to democratize access to scientific knowledge, improve the peer-review process, and encourage more diverse and equitable funding for research.

In the context of urban agriculture, decentralized science can facilitate the sharing of knowledge and resources among farmers, researchers, and other stakeholders. This mode of collaboration can lead to rapid innovation, increasing the development of more effective and sustainable agricultural practices.

The Role of Decentralized Science in Urban Agriculture

Citizen Science

Decentralized science enables the participation of citizens in scientific research.

Citizen science, also known as community science or crowd-sourced science, is the active participation of the general public in scientific research. It allows individuals, communities, and organizations to contribute to scientific studies and projects, often by collecting data, sharing observations, or analyzing results. This approach democratizes science and empowers people to take an active role in understanding and addressing local issues.

Citizen science projects can help to raise awareness of urban agriculture and its benefits, and promote community engagement in local food production. This can be particularly valuable in urban agriculture, as it allows urban residents to contribute their knowledge and expertise, improve their farming practices, and collaborate with other stakeholders to the development of sustainable agricultural practices.

Collaborative Research & Open Access to Data and Knowledge

Decentralized science can facilitate collaboration between urban farmers and researchers to develop new agricultural technologies and practices. By promoting open access to data and knowledge, urban farmers can make more informed decisions about their agricultural practices.

For example, farmers can use data from decentralized science projects to optimize their use of resources, such as water and fertilizer, and to identify the most effective crop varieties for their specific growing conditions. By working together, farmers and researchers can identify the most pressing challenges facing urban agriculture and develop solutions that are tailored to the unique needs of urban environments.

So how can you get involved?

Great question.

Organizations like City Farmers are pioneering market disrupting research and innovation of urban agriculture, including how blockchain can be integrated.

Sow the Seeds is a campaign to raise a $5m endowment for the City Farmers.

By safely investing these funds and operating from their yield, together we can place our team in a position of strength to source project-based grants and deploy them with maximum capital efficiency.

We’re open to contributions of any size, from a few hundred dollars to more than our ask.

Contact us today at [email protected] or by our website at https://thecityfarmers.org/