Big data presents challenges and opportunities for farmers in managing digital production processes and data. Disruptive technologies like mobile/cloud computing, the internet of things, location monitoring, and social media are connecting more aspects of farming. This creates potential for innovations like precision farming, predictive maintenance, app ecosystems, and regionally pooled big data analysis. However, it also raises issues around data ownership, liability, business models, governance structures for data exchange, and ensuring cooperation across different stakeholders in agriculture. Resolving these challenges will be important to maximize benefits and prevent negative outcomes from increasing digitalization in farming.

1. Big Data: challenges for farmers
Digitalisierung von Produktionsprozessen – Globale Konsequenzen für
das Datenmanagement in der Landwirtschaft
Krijn Poppe LEI Wageningen UR
Based on work with Sjaak Wolfert, Cor Verdouw and others Oktober 2015

3. Disruptive ICT Trends:
 Mobile/Cloud Computing – smart phones, wearables,
incl. sensors
 Internet of Things – everything gets connected in the
internet (virtualisation, M2M, autonomous devices)
 Location-based monitoring - satellite and remote sensing
technology, geo information, drones, etc.
 Social media - Facebook, Twitter, Wiki, etc.
Big Data - Web of Data, Linked Open Data
High Potential for unprecedented innovations!
everywhere
anything
anywhere
everybody

4. Which innovations and new business models are possible ?
Precision Farming/Advice Segment Cons. supportService ++
• Prescriptive farming
• Predictive maintenance
• Eco-systems of apps
• Regionally pooled big data
analysis for science and
advise (and risk mgt.)
• Personalized
advise by apps
• Online shops
• Integrated supply chains
• Feedback consumer-producer
• Measure, pay
sustainability
• Better T&T
• Paperless chain
• Store
replenishment
• Category
management
Sustainability HealthFood SafetyFood Security
LoyaltySMEs Cost priceGRIN Cope with retail
Transport
Input industries
Farmer Food processor Retail / consumerSoftware
Provider
Logistic
solution
providers
Transport+
Collaboration and Data Exchange is needed!

5. Data exchange by ABCDEFs
 Large organisations mostly have gone digital, with ERP
and other systems
 But between organisations (especially with SMEs) data
exchange and interoperability is still very poor
 While more data exchange for collaboration and business
process control in the chain is needed
● As data need to be combined to create value
● The better we exchange data, the less disruptive it is
for current business models and organisations
There is a need for ABCDEFs:
Agri-Business Collaboration & Data Exchange Facility
Proprietary/closed or open ABCDEFs?

6. Redefining Industry Boundaries (1/2)
(according to Porter and Heppelmann, Harvard Business Review, 2014)
6
3. Smart, connected product
+
+
+
2. Smart Product
1. Product

7. Redefining Industry Boundaries (2/2)
(according to Porter and Heppelmann, Harvard Business Review, 2014)
7
5. System of systems
farm
management
system
farm
equipment
system
weather
data
system
irrigation
system
seed
optimizing
system
field
sensors
irrigation
nodes
irrigation
application
seed
optimization
application
farm
performance
database
seed
database
weather data
application
weather
forecasts
weather
maps
rain, humidity,
temperature sensors
farm
equipment
system
planters
tillers
combine
harvesters
4. Product system
Is this
‘mono-equipment
system’ reality?
How to cope with
changes in industry
boundries?
How many
platforms should
users and
developers enter?

8. Agri-Food Supply
Chain Networks
are multi-
dimensional
• Markets allocate
products to different
destinations
• Chains are
supported by many
service providers
• Intensive data-
exchange with
governments
law & regulation
innovation
geographic
cluster
horizontal
fulfillment
Vertical

9. Farm Digital project
Sharing Data with AgriPlace:
Compliance Made Easy
https://www.agriplace.com

10. LESS ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN
AND CREATING VALUE
Auditors
• More effective audit on farm
• More new clients
• Savings of >€100 per audit visit
Farmers and Growers
• Less time and irritation to collect data
• More digital management
• Savings of >€500 euro per grower
Retailers
• Quicker and more complete data
• Better risk management
• > €30 savings per farm request
Importers and Food processors
• Cost savings on data collection
• Increase data quality
• Savings > €10,000 per importer
Consumers
• Relation with growers
• Better understanding of labels
• More transparency
PROTOTYPE
AGRI-PLACE
FMS-manage-
ment software
GOV. open data
LEI Wageningen UR
Benchmark-data

11. The USA battleground: Monsanto (et al.)
11
PRESCRIPTIVE
FARMING
based on
VARIABLE RATE
APPLICATION

12. USA: Farmers Business Network
12
Farmers’ owned,
investment by Google
Ventures
Summer 2015:
FBN has aggregated data from 7
million acres of farm land across
17 states, and they’re growing
30% month over month. The
platform is currently
able to assess the performance
of 500 seeds and 16 different
crops.
Costs farmer $ 500 / year.

13. USA: Farm Mobile
13
“Farmers believe their trust has been violated”:
their data go to multinationals, that announce
big future income from big data, while they have
pay for everything.
Farmers collect
‘crop stories’
and decide where
they travel (and get a
few cents per item?)

14. Discusions among US farmers:
14
Code of Conduct
• Do I own my own data?
• Who has access to my data?
• Does the government have access?
• Do companies gain market power on future markets ?
• Is there a lock inn ?
• Do I become a franchiser with the risks but not the
returns?

15. Towards the future:
15
• Farming becomes data based
• Data have mainly a value if they are combined
and aggregated
• Huge network effects can lead to monopolies
• That means that collaboration / cooperation is
needed and good governance is key.
• Is there a solution?

16. Is an eco-system of apps an alternative?
FARMER SCANS PESTICIDES PACKAGE IN THE FIELD
APP CONNECTS BASF FOR E-INSTRUCTION,
CROP AND SOIL SPECIFIC
APP ASK METEO FOR 24 hour WEATHER FORECAST
BASF SENDS INSTRUCTION TO SPRAYING MACHINE
ON WATER / PESTICIDE RATIO >> Machine adjusts
APP CHECKS ADVISE WITH GOV.AGENCY
FARMER CAN SHARE DATA WITH GOVERNMENT,
SGS-AUDITOR GLOBAL GAP AND PUBLIC
CAN I USE
MY CURRENT
SERVICE ?
CAN I USE
MY FMS ?
DOES IT
WORK WITH
BAYER /
DEERE
DOES IT
WORK WITH
BRC /
ISAcert
Can we link apps / services in a clever way ?
Leading to a market for services (apps and
data)?
Can this market be European (not MS), so
that development costs of services (apps and
data) are shared ?

17. Towards highly integrated solutions
Platforms in the cloud of input suppliers and food processors:
• What is the scope (connect only machinery or also with chemical
companies and accountants ?)
• Reduce costs of linking individually with many other platforms and
software packages (especially in chains that are not integrated)
• Is it possible to use apps with their own business model, so that the
platform does not have to pay all their costs? >> can (non-strategic)
apps be available on several platforms?
• How to prevent that farmers complain to have to pay for basis apps
(e.g. weather service) more than once?
MyJohnDeere.com Farmers
Biz architect
bundles apps
in a platform
...
80 Accelerator
companies
Apps

18. Towards highly integrated solutions
Highly Integrated Service Solutions
• Event-driven
• Configurable
• Customizable
• Service model
Data (Standardisation) Services
AdaptEPCIS
MyJohnDeere.com
Data Standards
to connect
Business
Collaboration
Services -
Based on Open
Source Software
Farmers
Biz architect
bundles apps
in a platform
...
80 Accelerator
companies
Apps
Modules:
Single SignOn
Biz Collab.
Event Proces.
System-Data
integration
App repository

19. Value proposition
Platforms solve the issue of connecting individually with a lot of business
partners to exchange data : connect easily to apps (and data
services in apps) based on EDI-standards or let farmers / end-users
make the connection
App-developers Develop one app for different platforms
Reach a European / Global market
Governments
(and industry
organisations)
See above for your government platform (paying agency, public
advisory service etc.)
Promote innovation by a competitive market for apps with new
services
Prevent lock-inn situations for farmers and unbalanced power
relations in the information exchange in food chains
Farmers Not a direct FIspace client. Platforms using FIspace inside provide
you more choice
Software writers
in platforms and
app-companies
Helps you to be part of an open source community that cares for
sustainable food production with up to date ICT – be recognized by
your peers

20. FIspace
App Store
80 Accelerator
companies
Configure &
Use Systems
First Commercial MVP by ... ?
App developer Business Configurator End User
Advertiser
Access fee
Use Fee Use Fee
Access fee (e.g.
CargoSwApp)
Pay for app use (e.g.
Spraying Advice)
Sponsored app
FIspace Foundation
MVP – open source
My JohnDeere
365 Farmnet
Akkerweb
Dacom/CROP-R
Datalab Pantheon
ICT company Service model ?

21. Towards highly integrated solutions
Highly Integrated Service Solutions
• Event-driven
• Configurable
• Customizable
• Service model
Data (Standardisation) Services
AdaptEPCIS
MyJohnDeere.com
Data Standards
to connect
Business
Collaboration
Services -
Based on Open
Source Software
Farmers
Biz architect
bundles apps
in a platform
...
80 Accelerator
companies
Apps
Modules:
Single SignOn
Biz Collab.
Event Proces.
System-Data
integration
App repository
Is this commercially feasible?
Or is it too much a common pool
investment in a market where
everybody wants to grab a stake, over-
estimates the value of its own data and
finds it easier to builds its own website
?

22. 2 Scenarios, with significant impacts ?
1. Scenario FIELDSCRIPT:
● Farmer becomes part of one integrated supply chain as a
franchiser/contractor with limited freedom
● one platform for potato breeder, machinery company, chemical
company, farmers and french fries processor.
● Weak integration with service providers, government ?
2. Scenario OPEN COLLABORATION:
• Market for services, apps and data
• Common, open platform(s) are needed
• Higher upfront, common investment ??
• Business model of such a platform more difficult?
• More empowerment of farmers and cooperatives?
F
F

23. Points for discussion (1/2)
 Ownership of farm data: the farmer, the robot supplier
that puts the data in a database and refines it, the
accountant that has an IPR on its report?
 Liability: if it goes wrong when Dutch software is used by
a Belgian contractor in spraying potatoes in N.France with
a wrong update of the French pesticide regulations to
instruct a German spraying machine ?
 Business model (who pays what?) and governance of
ABCDEF platform:
● Farmers / cooperatives owned, pay by use?
● Neutral organisation (a Data / Platform cooperative?)
● Commercially run by an ICT company?
● Governmental infrastructure ?

24. Points for discussion (2/2)
 Do differences in privacy laws / worries play a role?
 Are issues of cyber-security coming up?
 Can cooperatives deal with advanced ICT-using members
and paper-oriented farmers at the same time?
 What ABCDEFs to copy from the USA, what to develop in
Europe?
 The EU is launching a big call (30 mln euro) for solving
these issues in an Internet of Things environment: can
we work together between farmers and industry to sort
these things out, using that EU support ?

25. Thanks for your
attention
krijn.poppe@wur.nl
www.lei.wur.nl
www.FIspace.eu