The founder of agriiLabs, which builds infrastructure tools for decentralised food systems, has announced that the agriiDAO won’t be going through the Service Nervous System (SNS) route on the Internet Computer Protocol ($ICP) after all. A surprising turn, perhaps, in a space that’s grown accustomed to acronyms, automated governance, and tokenised hierarchies. But not for Terry Igharoro, who has long hinted at discomfort with the very premise of DAOs.
DAO, or Decentralised Autonomous Organisation, might sound democratic on the surface. But Igharoro isn’t buying the pitch. In his words, it’s “capitalism repackaged,” and it’s hard to argue with that when you look at how many DAOs reward participation based not on voice, but on the size of one’s wallet. His statement isn’t just a hot take—it’s a philosophical stance that’s been simmering for a while. He’s been speaking about it on Spaces, engaging directly with the agriiLabs community and the broader decentralised crowd, laying out the contradictions he sees in a structure that claims to be power-to-the-people, but ultimately defers to the highest bidder.
That tension—between the ideal of decentralisation and the pull of capital—is what’s at the heart of his decision. By stepping away from the SNS route, which would have involved launching the DAO as a fully tokenised, autonomous entity on ICP, Igharoro has opened a new path. Or rather, he’s gone back to an old one: co-operatives. Remember those?
Instead of sticking with the conventional DAO model, agriiDAO and agriiProtocol will now be governed using the agriiCOOP framework—a structure based firmly on co-operative principles. One member, one vote. No more, no less. Token ownership? All utility. No governance perks for deep pockets. This approach, Igharoro believes, is the only real way to protect the mission of decentralised food systems from being derailed by the mechanics of financial power.
He isn’t romanticising the co-op model, though. There’s no wide-eyed idealism here. Just a practical, honest view of what it will take to build systems that genuinely reflect the interests of communities, not capital. Co-ops have been around for over a century for good reason: they’re a tried and tested form of governance, recognised globally, with legal structures that hold up across jurisdictions. That’s particularly useful when building infrastructure meant to support something as globally essential—and as politically sensitive—as food.
One of the most compelling elements of the agriiCOOP framework is its approach to patronage. It’s not just about how much money you’ve contributed. It accounts for non-financial contributions too—time, expertise, advocacy. In other words, value in this model isn’t measured solely in tokens or dollars. It’s a more grounded, human approach to governance that seems almost radical in the Web3 context, even though it’s been standard practice in co-ops for decades.
The timing, too, is interesting. With 2025 officially designated as the International Year of Co-operatives, agriiLabs is positioning itself as an early leader in bringing the co-op spirit into the Web3 world. That’s a bold proposition in a landscape still deeply infatuated with DAOs and their algorithmic allure. But maybe, just maybe, it’s what the space needs.
DAOs, for all their promise, have struggled with governance fatigue, voter apathy, and the age-old problem of plutocracy. Token-based voting systems have often ended up reflecting existing hierarchies rather than flattening them. Projects that begin with ambitious visions of community-led decision-making often drift into silence or chaos. Many token holders don’t vote. Those who do are sometimes bots. And in the worst cases, the biggest bagholders drive the direction, turning decentralised networks into decentralised oligarchies.
Igharoro’s move reads as a direct challenge to that pattern. It’s not just a technical pivot—it’s a political one. It questions the values that underpin so much of what Web3 says it stands for. If decentralisation is really about empowering individuals and communities, shouldn’t the structures we build actually reflect that? And if the tech isn’t enough to keep us honest, maybe it’s time to look at governance models that predate the blockchain.
agriiLabs isn’t alone in its concerns, either. There’s been a quiet murmur across various blockchain projects about the effectiveness—and fairness—of DAOs. Critics have pointed out that even well-intentioned DAOs often end up replicating the dynamics they set out to disrupt. The shift from DAO to co-op in agriiLabs’ case feels less like an outlier and more like an early signal of a broader rethink that may be coming.
The move also reinforces the idea that decentralisation isn’t synonymous with automation. For agriiLabs, decentralisation is about accountability, community, and human-centred governance. It’s about putting food systems—arguably one of the most foundational aspects of society—into the hands of people who care, not just those who speculate. And that requires tools, rules, and values that align with the needs of those communities.
There’s no denying that this won’t be everyone’s preferred route. Some will argue that the co-op model is slower, more manual, less sleek. That it lacks the dynamic, plug-and-play structure DAOs offer. But for Igharoro, that’s a trade-off worth making. He’s betting that real-world resilience and equity are more important than on-chain flexibility. And for a project focused on food infrastructure—where access, fairness, and sustainability are everything—that’s a bet that feels grounded.
It’s not often you see someone in the crypto community swim against the DAO tide with this level of clarity. Igharoro hasn’t just said no to the standard path—he’s offered an alternative. One that’s built on legal foundations, democratic engagement, and a willingness to acknowledge the limits of tokenomics.
The rollout plans are coming soon, and there will likely be a lot of eyes watching how the agriiCOOP model holds up. Will it scale? Can it coordinate global participation while keeping its core values intact? These are the questions any new governance model must answer. But Igharoro is clearly prepared for that scrutiny. After all, you don’t publicly reject a dominant Web3 model without a deep belief in what you’re building instead.
As 2025 edges closer, the stage is set for a quiet but significant contest of ideas. The co-op movement is being handed a rare opportunity to intersect with Web3 on its own terms. agriiLabs’ decision could either be a powerful outlier or the start of a growing trend. Either way, it’s a timely reminder that innovation doesn’t always mean chasing the newest thing. Sometimes, it means going back to what works—and finding new ways to make it count.
