Shamba Network
Developing digital tools using satellite data and AI for ecological monitoring, verification, and climate insurance, aimed at supporting small farmers and building a regenerative community in Kenya.User Review
AI Review
A1
Reviewed on 13 Feb 2024 05:18 PM
Projects should directly support the mission of DeSci to innovate scientific research by exploring novel mechanisms of funding, conducting, and disseminating scientific research in an open, inclusive, and accessible manner.
Shamba Network appears to be aligned with the mission of DeSci. It focuses on using decentralized tools and open data (such as satellite data and geospatial analytics) to support climate change adaptation and mitigation, targeting small farmers and the ecological sector. They are innovating in the space of science by merging blockchain technology with climate action.
DeSci projects most commonly support this mission by building and testing necessary technological infrastructure, but projects may also be eligible if they are deploying existing DeSci infrastructure in a scientific research context or if they are educating and recruiting members of the scientific community to contribute to the mission.
Shamba Network is building and testing technological infrastructure such as ecological data oracles and digital MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) tools, and deploying these tools in the context of small-scale farming which indicates active deployment of DeSci infrastructure. Their involvement in community building events like ReFi Kenya facilitates education and recruitment in the scientific community.
Concrete examples of issues covered by the DeSci mission include: the data reproducibility crisis and archaic data sharing practices; misaligned incentives and poor practices in scientific publishing and peer review; financial, linguistic, and academic barriers to globally inclusive research; intellectual property, patents, and financial incentives to trade progress for profits; academic disconnect and poor science/health literacy and trust in the lay public and government representatives.
The project addresses several DesCi issues like the data sharing practices, through its use of open ecological data. Their work with small farmers and the broader community also indicates a commitment to reducing financial and academic barriers to inclusive research.
Projects must satisfy the Gitcoin Program General Eligibility Policy in addition to the requirements described above.
While the project appears to meet the domain specific criteria for DeSci, without explicit evidence of compliance with the specific policies laid out by the broader Gitcoin Program General Eligibility Policy, it is not possible to determine for certain whether all those administrative and procedural criteria are met.