Digital & Data Sovereignty
Putting farmers and other agri-food system actors in control of how their data is used, as well as giving them an increased stake in the governance and decision making of digital solutions
Some of the potential topics for discussion under Digital & Data Sovereignty include:
Open data platforms and digital public goods for the agriculture sector
The Digital Public Goods (DPG) is an amalgamation of digital content, software, and data that is open and freely accessible to help in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. Open data platforms form a critical component of digital public goods, as they enable evidence-based decisions without requiring stakeholders to spend resources on data collection. Today in the agriculture sector there are open data platforms for meteorological data and climate warnings, soil health, wholesale and consumer prices, and agriculture extension. Open data platforms such as DPG in the Global South, with a focus on the enabling environment that is required to develop such platforms and exploring the use of models that present Data-as-a-Service, can play a key role in empowering stakeholders.
Data sovereignty and privacy in the agriculture sector
As the agriculture sector becomes more digitized, the amount of data available in the sector will increase. But laws to protect this data and use it judiciously will have to be strengthened, ensuring the collection and usage of data is restricted to specific activities for which the contributor has provided consent and been compensated. An evaluation of different data policies and privacy frameworks in the agriculture sector can help advise governments on designing data architecture for the agriculture and food sector.
Inclusive governance of artificial intelligence systems
In the past decade, the role of technology in agriculture has increased significantly and will continue to do so, driven by a rising population and decreasing agricultural land and resources. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is steadily emerging as an important tool in the development story of technology within agriculture, playing an increasing role across the agriculture value chain, mainly to improve quality and productivity. However, uneven access to AI and the impact of AI-based technologies on smallholder farmers poses a risk of global digital inequalities. With the growth in the application and influence of AI, an ethical and inclusive approach is the prime requirement. Inclusive governance for AI in agriculture requires a shift in the overall mindset of stakeholders across the development process. It is important to adopt an approach focused on data diversity, data governance, testing with a diverse set of end-users at the pre-deployment stage, continuous monitoring & evaluation, and creating open feedback loops during the post-deployment stage.
Innovative farmer data governance and ownership models
Digital transformation of agriculture involves control over farm data and its use for better decision-making and innovation. But fragmented data and unclear data governance reduce farmers' willingness to capture and share information through digital tools. o This ultimately impacts policymaking due to the lack of comprehensive farm data. Hence, there is a need to have a multi-stakeholder discussion on data governance to strengthen a common vision for the coherent implementation of existing data practices and policies across geographies. Policymakers need to understand how existing regulatory arrangements affect agriculture and identify innovative data governance and ownership models that utilize modern age technologies, better design and implement Intellectual Property Rights, and promote voluntary or self-regulating codes of conduct.