Agriculture is at a critical crossroads. With food security, climate change and farmer incomes all under pressure, digital innovation could be a game-changer. But there’s a big catch: agricultural data — while incredibly valuable — remains fragmented, inconsistent and hard to use. (World Economic Forum)
Why Data Matters More Than Ever
Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, drones and sensors have huge potential to transform agriculture — from better crop predictions to smarter resource use. But these technologies depend on data. Not just any data, but accurate, standardized and easily shareable data that AI and digital platforms can actually work with. (World Economic Forum)
The Big Challenges
The agricultural sector faces three core data issues:
1. Fragmentation
Data comes from many different sources — soil measurements, weather reports, satellite imagery, market prices and more — but it’s scattered across systems that don’t talk to each other. (World Economic Forum)
2. Lack of Standard Formats
There’s no common language or format for agricultural data. Different organizations collect data differently, which makes combining and analyzing it difficult. (World Economic Forum)
3. Poor Interchange Between Systems
Agriculture evolves quickly — crops grow, weather changes, pests spread. To respond in real time, farmers and platforms need dynamic data that can be shared instantly. Right now that’s not happening efficiently. (World Economic Forum)
A Path Forward: Common Data Standards
To unlock the full potential of digital agriculture, the sector needs a shared, open data format that can be used across tools and platforms. Standardizing data would help:
Build predictive models that give farmers tailored advice
Improve market access and supply chain planning
Enable new digital services and apps that boost productivity and efficiency (World Economic Forum)
Some existing efforts — like the United Nations’ AGROVOC agricultural vocabulary — are already useful, but what’s needed now is an industry-wide, interoperable data system. Using common tech standards (like JSON and GeoJSON) as building blocks can help create formats that work for both humans and machines. (World Economic Forum)
Why It Matters
A unified agricultural data system isn’t just a tech project — it’s a way to improve food security, increase farmer incomes, and fuel innovation across the entire value chain. When data flows freely (with proper safeguards and consent), everyone from smallholder farmers to global agribusinesses can benefit. (World Economic Forum).