Policy reforms and innovative technologies can make a significant difference in correcting the distortions in food and nutrition security, skewed distribution of farmer incomes, natural disasters, and climate change. These innovative technologies need the right data, for the right purpose at the right time to perform up to their potential. However, agriculture data is humongous, complex, and fragmented. Furthermore, the lack of standards and limitations in the interchange of agricultural data pose significant challenges in delivering the required data to these technologies. Therefore, there is a need to promote standards-based interoperability and drive industry coordination to promote data interoperability.
Having standards-based interoperability would enable multiple digital systems to exchange agricultural data in an automated manner with limited human intervention. The ease and speed of such an exchange of data, across domains and technologies, would spur the development of innovative solutions and lead to evidence-driven, prediction-based decision-making on the farm and in the market.
There is also a need for a coordinated initiative to develop an open data format for the automated interchange of agriculture data. The harmonized format will ensure that data is understood and interpreted identically across the agriculture sector. It will enhance coordination, trust, and governance across the entire agricultural value chain, both domestic and cross-border. A standard format would accelerate the digitization of the agriculture value chain and the proliferation of smart farming solutions. Moreover, it can unlock the potential of the digital economy in agriculture, improving food security and enhancing the income of the farmer.
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