Every day, thousands of researchers and scientists are collecting massive amounts of data about agricultural systems—from soil chemistry and germination rates to harvest indicators and market logistics. At the same time, an estimated 500 million smallholder farmers—the world’s food producers—lack access to digital technologies and these latest research insights, which limits agricultural innovation in the developing world. The CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture is a new initiative connecting these two critical sectors of the food system by facilitating widespread access to research data. In doing so, the Platform is creating an innovation space for agriculture that has the potential to usher in a new era for farming and the global food system.
Photo credit: Food Tank
