While “Big Data” has opened previously unheard of doors for the world of precision agriculture, the issues of privacy and ownership have yet to be resolved.  For the first time Farmobile, a company specializing in farm data, has created a data agreement that is simple and transparent.  The pro-farmer legal agreement grants full data ownership to the farmer and is strategically designed with farmers and distributors in mind.

Currently there is no standard practice for data ownership, with most companies using the policy of social media networks where users voluntarily opt-in but lines remain unclear.  Many companies that do gain permission to a user’s data are fee to use the information for marketing or in any way they like.

“Agronomic data and social data are not equals; it’s time that legal documents clearly state their intent and clarify data control and ownership,” said Jason Tatge, CEO of Farmobile. “Too many legal agreements in agriculture are unclear, ambiguous or even contradictory. Data ownership should be simple: data collected from a farm belongs to the farmer. Our new data agreements represent the dawning of a new era in AgTech transparency.”

Farmobile developed the agreement with the help of farmer feedback and addressed concerns heard over and over.

“If you’ve ever seen yield maps of your fields, then someone else has already had access to your data. The question is what happens to your data after you receive your map. Many farmers are confused about data ownership: who actually has access to their data, what data they have access to, and how they use it,” continued Tatge. “Our goal with our new agreements is to vastly simplify the traditional data agreement between Agricultural Technology Providers (ATPs) and farmers in an effort to build trust and strengthen relationships. We believe farmers own the rights to the data produced from their local knowledge, carefully planned input decisions, and equipment they use in their fields. We are doing the right things for the right reasons. It’s that simple.”

Read the agreement at farmobile.com/legal.