Special Report

Ag Data Evaluator launches independent website to meet farmers needs

An ag lawyer says one of the biggest problems facing farmers who share their ag data with companies is the lack of transparency of how the information will be used.

Todd Janzen with Indianapolis-based Janzen Ag Law says the industry launched the Ag Data Transparency Evaluator tool last year in an effort to bring more transparency to ag technology contracts.

He says when farmers sign-up to use certain data platforms they may not realize all of the information they’re giving up.  “The very first question that we ask is ‘what are the streams of data you are collecting from a farmer if you sign up for this product’,” he says.  “From the very beginning of the process we know if you sign up for ‘company X’ or ‘product Y’ what exact information you are giving up.”

Janzen tells Brownfield the Evaluator tool has grown and as a result an independent website was launched during the recent Commodity Classic to detail participating companies’ data evaluations.

He says there isn’t a lot of time to decide how important data privacy is to farmers.  “I think we have about a 2 or 3 year window here to sort this out,” he says.  “After that the market will decide if farmers really do care about ag data privacy, security and protection.  Or if we’re going to treat agricultural data as just another form of consumer data.”

A link to the website can be found HERE.

AUDIO: Todd Janzen, Janzen Ag Law

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