A project commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will centre on digital innovation with the aim of supporting a more transparent, resilient and sustainable UK food system.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in collaboration with the Food Data Transparency Partnership (FDTP), has commissioned Arup, the Open Data Institute (ODI), WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and HESTIA to design and develop a new Data Sharing Infrastructure (DSI) and governance model for the UK’s agri-food supply chain.
Using data to accelerate innovation
The FDTP aims to bring together a consortium of Government, academia and the food and drink industry to improve sustainability through “consistent, accurate and accessible environmental impact data”..
According to Arup consultancy, the project will “demonstrate how efficient and trusted data sharing infrastructure can improve the way environmental impacts are monitored, reported and verified across the sector”.
The consortium’s role spans the full lifecycle of the project, from designing and testing data sharing infrastructure to advising on a governance model and piloting data sharing across a selection of food product supply chains. These pilots are aimed at demonstrating “real-world benefits such as reduced administrative burdens on farmers and producers, stronger environmental reporting and the accelerated digital innovation through tools such as smart data services and digital product passports”.
“A sustainable agri-food supply chain depends on data that producers, policymakers and the public can trust.”
Louise Burke, ODI
Adam Short, data programmes associate director at AHDB, commented: “This is a very welcome opportunity to help shape the development of future DSI and associated governance models, whilst ensuring the views and needs of farmers, levy payers and the wider agriculture industry are included. We’re excited to leverage our experience with the Farm Data Exchange Proof of Concept project, and our ability to engage stakeholders across the industry.”
ODI CEO Louise Burke added: “A sustainable agri-food supply chain depends on data that producers, policymakers and the public can trust. Reliable data on environmental impact requires common data standards and trusted infrastructure, and we’re seeing growing demand across sectors for this approach, ensuring decisions are robust and systems are built safely.”
“Therefore, we’re delighted to be part of this important work combining agri-food knowledge with data governance and infrastructure expertise. The outcome of FIG will be pivotal in informing future policy development for a fair and trusted data system to support scalable communication of environmental impacts through the food system.”
