Open data in the agricultural sector
Publication Date/Time
2019-09-04T09:00:00+00:00
Country
Europe
Open data can transform the agriculture sector
AGRICULTURE 

The term agriculture
[https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/agriculture.htm], otherwise known
as farming, refers to the process of producing food, feed, fibre, and
other desired products that can be gained by cultivating certain
plants and raising domesticated animals (livestock) and is the
benchmark of the agriculture sector.

The agriculture sector is one of the most important sectors in an
economy due to its impact and influence on other sectors and people's
day-to-day life. There are several reasons why this sector is the
backbone of an economy, for example, the agriculture sector:

 	* provides food and fodder to feed people and livestock;
 	* is a source of raw materials for production;
 	* is a source of employment and livelihood to a large portion of the
global population;
 	* contributes to the national income and is a source of government
income; and
 	* is a basis for economic development - locally and nationally - and
is a contributor to a country's overall economic development.

Due to the wide breadth of the agricultural sector's impact, it has a
critical role in an economy
[https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-importance-of-agriculture-in-the-growth-of-any-state]
at a local, regional, national, and even global level.

However, the agriculture sector is facing several challenges, such as
climate change, food security, and population growth. To address and
combat these challenges, the European Commission
[https://ec.europa.eu/commission/index_en] is allocating important
research resources to the social challenge of food security,
sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research, and bioeconomy
through the Horizon 2020 programme
[https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en]. Another method to
support the agriculture sector through these challenges is embracing,
successfully implementing, and combining digital technologies
associated with Industry 4.0.

 

AGRICULTURE AND OPEN DATA 

The world is moving towards the fourth industrial revolution -
otherwise known as Industry 4.0
[https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/09/02/what-is-industry-4-0-heres-a-super-easy-explanation-for-anyone/]
- where computers will be enhanced with smart and autonomous systems
that are fueled by data and machine learning. To elaborate, the
concept Industry 4.0 refers to when factories and machines are
augmented with wireless connectivity and sensors that are connected to
a system that can visualize the entire production line and make
decisions on its own.

The agriculture sector is already increasingly combing technologies,
such as geolocation, soil and environmental conditions monitoring,
Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the Internet of
Things (IoT), to accurately measure the variations of variables in the
crop field and improve the quantity and quality of agricultural
products. To successfully implement and combine these technologies,
the agriculture needs data
[https://datos.gob.es/en/noticia/role-open-data-evolution-precision-agriculture].

Data - especially open data - will play a crucial role in helping the
agriculture sector navigate and thrive through Industry 4.0, and has
the potential to transform the agriculture sector and facilitate food
security around the world. These datasets include weather data, data
on seed genetics, data on environmental conditions, and soil data. To
elaborate on how datasets can impact the agriculture sector, take the
example of weather data. If weather data from weather records are made
open, it will be possible for farmers to plan their planting season
and increase their yield by reducing the risk of frost or drought
damaging their crops. In addition, if weather data is made open,
farmers can optimise their water irrigation system to prepare for
rainy or dry days and not over water or neglect watering their crops.

There are already several ongoing initiatives around the world that
focus on data and agriculture. For example, the Technical Centre for
Agricultural and Rural Cooperation [https://www.cta.int/en] (CTA) - an
initiative that aims to shape the global discourse of open in
agriculture. The CTA supports other institutions in their goal to
promote sharing agriculture data, such as the Global Open Data for
Agriculture and Nutrition [https://www.godan.info/] (GODAN) - a
project that was established in 2014 and promotes the proactive
sharing of agriculture data to assist smallholder production and
achieve the Sustainable Development Goal
[https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300](SDG) 2: Zero
hunger.

For more examples on agriculture datasets in Europe and use cases from
across the world that exemplify the value of open agriculture data and
aim to address the current and future challenges in agriculture,
explore the European Data Portal! Aware of any open agriculture data
use cases, or news and events that relate to how data can shape and
support the agriculture sector, share them with us via mail
[/en/feedback/form?type=4], and follow us on Twitter
[https://twitter.com/EU_DataPortal], Facebook
[http://www.facebook.com/EuropeanDataPortal] or LinkedIn
[https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-data-portal/] to stay up to
date!
