The Challenge

Most governments see the value of open data policies for agriculture. They want to provide a data ecosystem that leads to increased yields and improved farm incomes. But for open data to be truly effective it needs the proactive commitment of a variety of ministries and public institutions. This can prove a difficult task, but can be achieved with a coordinated approach across all levels of government and relevant public bodies. So, how to cross the obstacles that may arise and understand the steps to be taken? GODAN and the Open Data Charter have created a tool to help governments reach the goal of a open data policies for agriculture.

The Solution

GODAN created the Government Open-Up Guide for Agriculture (previously known as the AgPack) in partnership with the Open Data Charter and Open Data Institute. The project began in 2016 and aims to guide governments to identify and publish data sets that may be relevant for the agricultural sector, and could catalyse sustainable agricultural production in support of Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger (SDG2).

The Open Up Guide was first published under the title “Introducing the Agriculture Open Data Package: Beta Version and was launched at the 2016 Open Government Partnership in Paris. Since then, workshops to expand on and update the Open Up Guide have been carried out in the Netherlands, at the 2017 Africa Open Data Conference in Accra, Ghana, and during the 2017 GODAN Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Outcome

These consultations have led to improved recommendations and insights. GODAN plans to launch the updated Government Open Up Guide for Agriculture in 2018, which will include recommendations, case studies, and tools for improved data management and release