The large collections of farm and farmer data that are being used by companies and government agencies can be classified as “BIG DATA”.

Big data is defined as data sets that are so large that they require powerful computational capability to process.

Use of these large data sets requires organized capture and collation for analysis and/or application purposes. Other requirements inherent in the use of big data sets are the ability to search, share, store, and transfer their information. Sectors important to agriculture that are increasingly using big data sets are meteorology, genomics and bioinformatics, biological and environmental research, precision agriculture, and information gathering, to name a few.

An increasing trend in the US agricultural sector is the accumulation of “big data” that is being used by Agriculture Technology Providers (ATP’s).

Collection of these data from producers in the agricultural sector has spawned growing concern about the privacy of these data and how they are used.

On Nov. 13, 2014, a coalition of farm groups published “Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data”, which provides principles that should be adopted and adhered to by each ATP. Prominent sponsors of this policy statement are American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association, and the USA Rice Federation. All of these organizations represent farmers and growers of prominent commodity crops in Mississippi and the Midsouth.

A summary of the basic tenets of this list of principles follow.

• Education is needed to ensure that ATP customers understand their rights and responsibilities when supplying data as per their contracts with ATP’s.


• Farmers own the information and data generated from their farms. Farmers have the responsibility to 1) agree on data use and sharing guidelines with other stakeholders and ATP’s, and 2) ensuring that only the data they own or control is included in the contract with other entities.


• ATP’s collection, access, and use of farm data should be done only with the explicit consent of the farmer through contract agreements.


• Farmers must be notified that their data is being collected, and about how that data will be used.


• ATP’s shall notify farmers about 1) the purposes of their data collection and use, 2) how farmers can contact the ATP with inquiries or complaints, 3) the third parties to which farmer data will be disclosed, and 4) how the ATP will limit data use and disclosure.


• ATP’s should explain a farmer’s options for changing the availability of data and services, offer farmers choices of options, and provide farmers a clear picture of what those choices will mean in terms of services and features that will be available.


• Farmers should be able to retrieve their individualized data at their discretion.


• Farmers should know the third parties with whom ATP’s will be sharing their data, and have a clear explanation about and definitions of those third parties.


• Sale of data by an ATP to a third party shall not occur without a legally binding statement between the farmer and the ATP. Farmers must be notified of each proposed sale, and have the option to opt out of that sale. Any sharing of farmer data must be consistent with the contract terms between the farmer and the ATP.


• ATP’s shall provide for the removal, secure destruction, and/or return of original farmer data upon request from the farmer, or according to contract terms.


• Procedures for termination of ATP services should be defined in the contract between the ATP and the farmer.


• Farmer data shall not be used for anti-competitive or speculative activities.


• Farm data should be protected with reasonable safeguards against loss or unauthorized access, use, modification, and/or disclosure. ATP liability and policies for notification if these events occur should be established and clearly defined in the contract.

Farmers have every right to expect that their farm data is private and not for dissemination to or use by outside entities without their explicit consent. As more and more “big data” from farmers is collected and stored, it is prudent that the above principles be adopted by all collectors and users.

Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, Nov. 2014, larryheatherly@bellsouth.net