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Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition

Founded	2013
Focus	Agriculture, Nutrition, Open Data
Location	Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England
Area served	Global
Employees	7
Website	http://www.godan.info/

Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) is a global partnership of governments, non-governmental organizations and businesses committed to opening data in the agriculture and nutrition sectors in order to create sustainable agricultural systems, help achieve food security and make relevant information available for farmers and their organizations, consumers and decision-makers worldwide.

Overview

GODAN aims to promote the release of data relevant to agriculture and nutrition ‘open’ to allow better decision-making by governments, farmers and consumers worldwide in order to achieve food security and provide a better quality of life for smallholder farmers, particularly in developing countries. As the world’s population is increasing rapidly there will be more demand for food, feed and fiber from a finite resource of land. Climate change and volatile markets are also likely to increase demand.

Origins and Administration

GODAN was launched in October 2013 at the Open Government Partnership Conference following G8 discussions in 2012 to recruit partner organizations committed to open data in the sector. A small secretariat spread across Wallingford, England, Wageningen, Netherlands and Rome supports this active partnership with administration and communication functions. From September 2015 André Laperrière LINK, previously at the World Bank and UN, will be GODAN’s Executive Director.LINK

Focus

GODAN aims to support the sharing of open data that can be used to make better decisions. LINK to initial funding/purpose and works with its partners to advocate for this worldwide. Initial research produced by GODAN and the Open Data Institute LINK to discussion paper highlights examples where it is already making an impact, including that farmers in Ghana using a mobile phone app to access local weather and cultivation information to help make decisions on crop planting, farmers in the Netherlands using satellite information to spot areas of rodent infestation to tackle rodent infestations in crops food hygiene inspection data being available to diners to help them avoid food poisoning. GODAN welcomes further examples of positive impacts and also cases where the use of open data can solve problems in the sector.

Development of the Partnership

By August 2015 137 partners had joined link to partner list, from national governments (US Government, UK Department for International Development, Government of the Netherlands and Government of Kenya LINKS; businesses LINKSand not-for-profit organizations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ONE and the World Food Programme LINKS. Partners join without cost but commit to engage proactively in moving forward the agenda for open data LINK TO becoming a GODAN partner and statement of purpose

Engagement

GODAN partners, supported by the secretariat, engage in international advocacy and discussion to communicate the role of open data in achieving food security. This takes place in one-to-one conversations with governments and potential partners and at international discussions and events. The partnership hosted discussion at the 3rd International Open Data Conference in Ottawa (May 2015) LINK and the Africa Open Data Conference in Tanzania (September 2015).LINK

Future plans

The GODAN Secretariat has recently submitted a report on activity during its inception phase, together with proposals for future activity to promote open data in agriculture and nutrition sectors. Current proposals include setting up expert working groups on key topics and the development of a new website as a hub for information, including that on the CIARD ring LINK. GODAN will publish updates on its future programme as they emerge.