Document(s): 

copa_cogeca_5_mins_speech_on_digital_platforms_21october2016.docx

main_principles_underpinning_the_collection_use_and_exchange_of_agricultural_data_.pdf

Author(s): 

Daniel Azevedo

Year of publication: 

2016

Attached are COPA COGECA answers to the main questions. 

•        Make sure that the ICT basic infrastructure contributes to sufficient connectivity and safe data storage and transmission.

Connectivity, Interoperability and standardization of databases and and communication protocols: basic pillars for success

•           A new, large and dynamic ecosystem of companies is flourishing around the new paradigm of data services for farming, but lots of fragmentation in terms of agri-food platforms.

Also important is the further development of hardware (sensors, implements) and decision support

•           There are a lot of initiatives from the private sector to use the data already available (weather prediction, CAP public information, public GIS data and satellites). Much of them are being developed without umbrella platforms that can assure future interoperability between different tools and devices. Public initiatives like FIWARE or private ones like 365FARM NET could help on this sense.Some initiatives spread around Europe, in good direction:

o          Platforms (both B2B and B2C) built by trade associations in the agri-food sectors or their subsidiaries

o          H2020 innovation projects based on FIWARE are also good examples of the possibilities of top-down platform design

o          Regional/national initiatives, e.g. governmental platforms for managing CAP data

Besides, further the public initiatives to create common platforms for the use of data and tools, I think there should be a clear effort from the public administration to provide high quality data in a easy-access systems, for instance satellite images, CAP disclosed data, GIS information, Eurostat information, data from weather stations, etc

o          Some providers of are opening the APIs of their proprietary systems

•           Other key issues:

•           It is essential to connect the agents in the value chain, letting data flow across the whole value chain

•                      Trust and security: data ownership, data sharing, provenance, authenticity
•                      When exchanging data, It is also important to improve trust in the system. Copa and Cogeca has put forward some principles underpinning the exchange of agri data (see attached document). Copa and Cogeca will now lead a latform of stakeholders that will try to agree on a similar set of principles. If farmers trust the system and benefit from it, they will be more willing to share data.

o          Open data: sharing and aggregation are fundamental. Nevertheless there are some data that cannot be shared to the public nor to all partners due to its sensitivity (see paper Copa and Cogeca)

o          Involve farmers and users from the very beginning. Some big data/IoT initiatives launched in EU are far from the user perspective. Need for better coordinating these EU initiatives.

o          Do not reinvent the wheel: learn from platform initiatives already running successfully and make them interoperable

•    I would like to stress the role that cooperatives can play. This key position have been highlighted by several reports (Rabobank about BigData for instance). The examples of French cooperatives like INVIVO or Terrena , trying to keep the control of farmer´s data at the same time that they are used are good examples of these role

1.          Research which tools can be best applied in the company processes of producers and produce advisers, among which Big Data Analysing tools and apply these.

2.         Develop where necessary innovative sensors, models and specific applications. Notably the detection of quality parameters, diseases, plagues and stress are requested for better management.