资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

What happens with the data generated by digital technologies used on the farm? Who can use it, whom does it belong to, what is its value? 

These and similar questions were addressed in the webinar on “Data governance in agriculture: including farmers”, organized by the partners in the GFAR Collective Action “Inclusive Digital transformation of Agriculture” – FORAGRO, COPROFAM, GODAN, AgGateway – and conducted by GODAN. 

It’s the first webinar in the Collective Action and it focuses on the data-related aspects of Digital Agriculture (DA), in particular governance of data generated by digital technologies. Treatment of data is an important topic when it comes to inclusion of farmers, as farmers using digital solutions are rarely aware of what happens to data and of possible consequences of data misuse, and have no voice in negotiating fairer treatment. This is why the Action partners advocate for inclusion of farmers in the negotiation of data practices and business models. We are convinced that we need to strengthen the recognition of farmers as central actors and innovators themselves, generators of valuable agricultural knowledge and holders of intellectual property rights, not just recipients of others’ solutions, knowledge, and data. 

The webinar features two experts, Foteini Zampati and Caroline Muchiri, illustrating known legal and ethical issues and possible ways to address them, and two farmers, one from Uruguay (Fernando Lopez) and one from Kenya (Felix Kariuki) expressing their views on the topic.  

The fact that 340 people registered and around 168 attended a webinar on a topic that we thought was niche and the fact that time didn’t allow us to answer all the questions asked, some of which very crucial, leads us to think that there will be a follow-up webinar. 

All participants in the webinar will also be invited to participate in the next phase of consultations on inclusive digital transformation of agriculture.  

The webinar is available in English and Spanish.