USAID and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned a report on Farmer-Centric Data Governance conducted under the Digital Frontiers mechanism managed by DAI. Athena Infonomics along with Development Gateway wrote this seminal report on Farmer-Centric Data Governance. The objective of this report is to showcase farmer-centric data governance models and the enabling factors needed for their implementation.
Agriculture tech companies (ag-tech), heavily rely on farmers for their valuable data. These advanced technologies hold great potential for benefiting farmers, consumers, and the environment. However, the challenge arises as these companies wield significant control over the data gathered from farmers. Here lies the paradox: farmers find themselves not reaping the economic rewards from their own data. The looming risk involves the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of large agricultural and tech corporations, who hold power, controls resources, and manage the data.
For this reason, there is a pressing need to unpack data governance practices and challenges within the agriculture sector.
This report is tailored for policymakers, donors, companies, organizations developing and funding, and digital agriculture technologies.
The Report, featuring six Deep Dives and nine Case Studies, presents user-centric data governance approaches that prioritize farmers and communities in data collection initiatives, aiming to mitigate the adverse impacts of centralized power. The insights, derived from literature review, interviews, and workshops, serve the following purposes:
The report includes an innovative user map guiding donors and implementers on integrating equitable data governance into programs.
For more information or any questions regarding this work, please contact Shruti Viswanathan at shruti.v@athenainfonomics.com.