Data Ecosystem Working Group

The GODAN Data Ecosystem Working Group (WG) explores the daring vision of catalysing the creation a global, common data ecosystem for agriculture and food. It builds upon the ideas presented in the GODAN discussion paper “A Global Data Ecosystem for Agriculture and Food”. It is motivated and inspired by the fact that many organisations (public or private) see great value in continuing this discussion about what such an ecosystem could look like.

The Data Ecosystem WG brings together data infrastructure initiatives that see value in adopting common thinking and principles. In particular, to review the recommendations that the discussion paper makes and see how they may be adapted, contextualised, prioritised and implemented in specific environments and applications. The Data Ecosystem WG tries to help such initiatives shape a roadmap that will refine and implement the initial recommendations within their individual data infrastructure projects. In this way, it also tries to affect the way that investments are made in such infrastructures for agriculture and food information, so that the vision of a linked and interoperable set of infrastructures (a data ecosystem) may become a reality.

The main focus of the group will be the organisation of activities that fall under three thematic areas, exploring different facets of a global data ecosystem including:

• Mapping the current Data Ecosystem - trying to create the mechanisms and tools for creating a visualisation of the organisations, people, initiatives, technologies, services, standards and data sources that are part of the data ecosystem today.
• Technology and Interoperability of Data Infrastructures - trying to facilitate the discussion around common architectural principles and interoperability guidelines that are of relevance to groups developing data infrastructures and platforms for agriculture and nutrition. It will build in a prioritised set of specific recommendations and principles from the data ecosystem paper (and other GODAN publications). It will contextualise and refine the recommendations further, according to the needs and requirements of data infrastructure, building initiatives that will contribute to the WG.
• Policy & Strategic Alignment of Data Infrastructures - trying to facilitate the discussion around the way that relevant policies and public/donor investments may become aligned to the vision of a common, global data ecosystem. It will focus on the exploration of relevant and viable business models that may provide incentives for various entities to collect and share data, as well as define mechanisms and funding sources for the sustainability of data infrastructures.

Status: Work Complete