This is a submission for the Build Better on Stellar: Smart Contract Challenge : Build a dApp
What We Built
We’ve developed a decentralized application (dApp) that empowers consumers to connect directly with local food growers, ensuring transparency and trust in the food supply chain. This application not only bridges the gap between consumers and local producers but also tracks the entire lifecycle of food products—from seed to harvest—through smart contracts on the Stellar network.
By leveraging Stellar’s blockchain technology, the dApp incorporates a garden management system with smart contracts that automatically execute and verify key agricultural processes. These contracts create verifiable, tamper-proof records for every stage of the farming cycle, including planting, growth, and harvest, ensuring that all activities are transparent and trustworthy.
Smart contracts also facilitate low-cost, real-time transactions between consumers and growers, eliminating the need for intermediaries. Additionally, they enable innovative financing solutions, such as microloans or community-supported agriculture (CSA) subscriptions, directly linking consumers with local growers who might otherwise struggle to access traditional financial services. This creates a more sustainable and resilient local food ecosystem, promoting fair trade and economic empowerment within urban communities.
Demo
Here is our proof of concept PiQuadic system in action monitoring our new avocado tree.
It's a rough prototype built on a Raspberry Pi™ 3B+
We can have our Raspberry Pi live on the Internet, so here's a screen capture...
Journey
After watching several documentaries on the current state of farming and global climate change mixed with investigative reporting on the Food Industrial Complex...
...my wife and I decided to combine our skills and personalities and devise a pathway for change. With her work with the homeless population in Dallas, Texas, and my computer technology experience, we recognized a need for a better system.
We set out to build a system to help individual growers connect their growing systems and methods with a decentralized application to impact local food sources in urban areas significantly. Here’s how:
Maximizing Space Efficiency
Urban areas often have limited space for traditional farming. Hydroponic and aquaponic systems are highly space-efficient, allowing food production in vertical farms, rooftops, or even repurposed indoor spaces. A dApp can connect consumers directly with these urban farms, providing fresh, locally-grown produce with minimal transportation needs.
Reducing Environmental Impact
Hydroponic and aquaponic systems use significantly less water than traditional farming and can be operated with fewer or no pesticides. By tracking the entire lifecycle of food products using blockchain, this dApp can ensure that consumers are informed about the sustainable practices behind their food, promoting environmentally responsible choices.
Increasing Food Security and Accessibility
Urban areas often face challenges related to food deserts and the availability of fresh produce. This dApp project can help reduce dependency on distant supply chains and improve food security by enabling local hydroponic and aquaponic growers to reach consumers directly. Tracking and verifying food sources and quality can also build consumer trust and community.
Fostering Local Economies
Supporting local farms keeps money within the community and creates jobs. This dApp can offer a platform where urban consumers and commercial enterprises can easily track and purchase produce from nearby farms, stimulating local economic growth and reducing food delivery costs.
Promoting Year-Round Production
Unlike traditional farming, hydroponic and aquaponic systems can operate year-round, unaffected by seasonal changes. The PiQuadic dApp can highlight this advantage by offering a consistent supply of fresh produce to urban consumers and reducing the reliance on imported foods.
Leveraging our decentralized application to support hydroponic and aquaponic farming in urban areas can create sustainable, resilient, and self-sufficient urban food systems.
Additional Prize Categories: Glorious Game and/or Super Sustainable
Please accept this project for the Super Sustainable Category as well. Thank you.
Here is the system watching our new avocado plant
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