Big Data Brings Farmers New Rewards, New Risks

Oct 29, 2015

The U.S. House Agriculture Committee had a session with precision agriculture leaders and farm group representatives to discuss the potential and challenges that new information technology holds for agricutlure.

"Farmers and ranchers see tremendous benefits with technology, but can’t turn a blind eye to the privacy concerns that remain." Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst told the House Agriculture Committee today. Hurst, a board member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, was asked to testify on innovation and its implications for agriculture.

“The big data movement—and the innovative technologies and analytics it yields—could lead to at least as much change in agriculture as the Green Revolution and the adoption of biotechnology did,” Hurst said. “Farmers are reporting higher yields, fewer inputs, more efficiency and higher profits thanks to technology.”

While farmers are eager to adopt these groundbreaking tools, they are not willing to simply hand over their sensitive business information - nor should they have to. Farmers have the right to know what information is collected, how exactly their data is used and who else has access to it. “It’s then up to farmers to determine whether the benefits outweigh the privacy and security risks associated with usage,” Hurst said.

These concerns are best resolved through private partnerships where farmers can work directly with businesses to address problems and find workable solutions. “If we rely on the government to make changes, the undue overhead might irreversibly deter innovation,” Hurst said.

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