The Farm Data Code of Practice was developed through the joint funding by dairy farmers through DairyNZ, in conjunction with Ministry for Primary Industries and FarmIQ. Project leadership came from farm software systems company Rezare Systems, whose managing director Andrew Cooke said the initial concept for the database stemmed from the Anderson Report that looked at data sharing in the dairy sector in 2009.
“That report called for moving data together from quite different sources,” he said.
“However what struck me at the time was no-one wants to put all their data in one large database, and what was needed was an agreement to share the data but ensure farmers who provide that data know it has a level of visibility around its use, and they have some control over where it is used.”
The result is a code that promises to store land and animal data securely, and to securely share that data between parties while also standardising terminology on the land and animal data stored.
Cooke said the code also recognised the investment different companies had made to generate the data, and enabled them to access it in a manner acceptable to all parties.
Two main streams of work sit behind the code. On the most visible level it ensures behaviour and use of the farm data is covered. Behind that sit data standards that ensure the information is standardised and meaningful both for the farmers inputting it, and the companies or researchers using it as a database.
Cooke said the level of cross-industry work and agreement on the code had been remarkable, and he praised efforts by groups including Federated Farmers for helping ensure a relatively smooth development.
“I have just been to Europe where they are looking at a data code, and they were highly impressed at how organised things are here, particularly the way farmer groups and levy groups like DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb have worked together on this.”
Organisations adopting the code are required to demonstrate their information management systems are secure and reliable. For farmers’ peace of mind the terms and conditions behind the organisation’s systems will be available. A review panel will assess terms and conditions of companies applying for code certification.
Cooke said he hoped the dairy industry-good database being signed between LIC and DairyNZ would be one of the early databases to get approval under the code.
“We came away from the Fieldays with a list of companies keen to have approval,” he said.
“This opens the opportunity for analysts of large and small companies to do different things with data.”
