Improving the national data infrastructure for the agricultural sector is the linchpin to provide critical agricultural insights, improve the effectiveness of farm bill programs, and deliver better value for farmers and taxpayers.

On Thursday, June 9, the Data Foundation, in partnership with AGree Initiative, hosted a discussion about the recommendations of the new report, Modernizing Agriculture Data Infrastructure to Improve Economic and Ecological Outcomes. The report looks at the importance of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) data infrastructure to address a growing number of critical short and long-term food and agricultural issues.

Leaders in academia, government, and agriculture production discussed the white paper and  explored four practical options for agriculture data innovation that are effective case studies for data acquisition, management, and use in other sectors.

The modernization of agricultural data collection, storage, and analysis will help better equip farmers, ranchers, and USDA with tools to adapt, innovate, and ensure a food-secure future given the increasingly dynamic conditions in which the sector operates.