Some farmers are fearful that farm data can be “used against them to threaten things like milk prices or farm payments”, according to Teagasc researcher Dr Claire Brown.

Dr Brown said that such farmers need to receive reassurance so they can trust that their farm data will not be used to harm them.

This should include assurance about the type of data they would be sharing and clear information on the agencies this data would be shared with.

She was speaking on Friday during a webinar presentation on the Department of Agriculture-funded AgriDISCRETE project, which examined digitalisation in agriculture and forestry through data security.

The webinar demonstrated its work, with some 50 stakeholders attending on the day.

Dr Brown and her colleague Teagasc researcher Áine Regan undertook research to identify data awareness among Irish farmers and foresters and the gaps that deter them from using it.

Unaware

Having conducted a number of workshops with farmers, the Teagasc team found that many farmers were unaware or didn’t understand where their data goes and what it is being used for.

Dr Brown said they discovered that some farmers often don’t know that they’ve been sharing farm data at all.

She described how suitable “language” needs to be used in farm data collection scenarios, including when farmers are asked to sign their consent to data collection or when they are asked to tick various boxes.

However, Dr Brown told webinar attendees that there is “growing awareness” among some farmers “on data being generated on their farms and that there could be opportunities there”.

Technology

Dr Brown said that the research found that there is a “high variability in levels” in the degree of comfort farmers have with technology.

She said: “There is a significant cohort of farmers that cannot reply to a text message for example.

“Many farmers still use paper methods rather than digital and are unaware of the explicit benefits that come with digital data collection and sharing.”

The Teagasc researcher suggested that there needs to be “knowledge sharing opportunities” to enable these less technologically abled farmers to “feel included in data collection”.

She said the best way to do this is for farmers to “hear from other farmers” so they “believe that [technology] could work for their farms”.

Compelled

Also speaking during the webinar on Friday, managing director of VirtualVet Sinead Quealy criticised the ways pressure can be put on some farmers to share their data.

“If you stick sustainability on it, [the farmer] is almost compelled to send data over.”

Quealy said work needs to be done to make sure data collection exercises from agri-food companies, including processors, which might be sold as “for the public good”, are not simply “profiteering” off farmers. She warned that the reason behind the data collection from farmers “has to stack up”.

“Are we just going to tick boxes or are we going to do it right,” she asked.

Communication campaign

Dr Brown demonstrated the work the AgriDISCRETE team has undertaken to develop a communications campaign around data use and rights for farmers.

She said that while “this will not fix all issues related to data sharing and data awareness for farmers in Ireland”, the awareness tools will “empower” them to become more informed.

The communication campaign includes an information flyer for distribution to farmers. To find out more, farmers can visit the project website here.

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