πΎ RiceDAO
A Seapunk Vision for Community-Resilient Agriculture
In anticipation of the Silicon Archipelago: A Salon On Open Distributed Southeast Asian Tech Futures event two days from now, and as part of my contribution as a panelist, Iβm writing a long overdue recap of the RiceDAO idea that emerged from our Seapunk Playshop in Chiang Mai back in October 2024.
In the midst of the Seapunk Playshop, a fascinating concept emerged from the dozen or so punk minds gathered at our little studio at the Furama in Chiang Mai: RiceDAO. This innovative idea reimagines the ancient Balinese subak system through the lens of modern decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs), offering a potential solution for climate-conscious communities to cultivate rice cooperatively and prosperously. (Also, if youβre asking why rice, well rice is life, fight me.)
The Foundations of RiceDAO
RiceDAO draws inspiration from two key sources:
Balinese Subaks: These centuries-old water management cooperatives have sustainably managed rice cultivation in Bali, balancing ecological, social, and spiritual needs.
Summer of Protocols' Tensions Game: This framework explores the delicate balance between competing forces in complex systems, introduced to us and facilitated by
at the Playshop.
By combining these concepts, RiceDAO aims to create a resilient and adaptive system for rice cultivation in a world grappling with climate change.
Balancing Tensions for Prosperity
RiceDAO addresses several key tensions to ensure stable and harmonious rice production:
Supply Chain Protocol: "The Rice Must Flow"
Ensures consistent rice distribution while maintaining ecological balance
Implements smart contracts to automate and optimise supply chain logistics
Feast-Famine Index
Utilises fair dynamic pricing to balance supply and demand
Helps prevent overproduction and scarcity cycles
Ecological Governance
Implements land-use ratios to maintain biodiversity and soil health
Encourages sustainable farming practices through incentives
Collective Flourishing
Aligns incentives among farmers, distributors, and consumers
Promotes cooperation and shared prosperity within the DAO
Unique Attributes of RiceDAO
Cross-Cultural Rituals for "The People of Rice"
Fosters community bonds and shared identity amidst diversity
Incorporates traditional rice cultivation ceremonies from various cultures
Rice Treasury Temples
Physical structures for storing surplus rice, tracked on-chain for transparency
Serves as community centres and symbols of abundance
Surplus Re-cycling through Auto R&D Allocations
Automatically directs a portion of profits to research and development
Focuses on improving cultivation techniques, climate resilience, and sustainability
Watershed Planning
Develops resource-aligned relationships between upstream and downstream communities
Ensures equitable water distribution and sustainable land use
The Promise of RiceDAO
RiceDAO represents a bold reimagining of agricultural systems for a climate-changed world. By combining ancient wisdom with cutting-edge technology, it offers a potential pathway for communities to not just survive, but thrive through cooperative rice cultivation.
As demonstrated at the Seapunk Symposium, RiceDAO showcases the power of creative thinking in addressing complex global challenges. While still a conceptual model, it provides a compelling vision of how decentralised systems could help build resilient and prosperous communities in the face of environmental upheaval.
The seapunk movement continues to explore fresh solarpunk-inspired futures for Southeast Asia, and RiceDAO stands as a shining example of the innovative ideas emerging from this creative collective. As we look towards an uncertain future, concepts like RiceDAO offer hope and inspiration for building more sustainable and equitable food systems.