Legal and trust issues in Australian agriculture

Abstract

IT IS WELL accepted that the use of digital technology and agricultural data has the potential to transform agriculture and agribusiness. Agricultural data can aid analysis, provide early warnings, enable accurate predictions that result in improved productivity. Currently, however, the regulatory frameworks around data collection, sharing and use in Australia are ad hoc and piecemeal. In this paper, some of the key reasons why many farmers are refraining or restricted from sharing data, including the lack of transparency around issues such as data ownership, portability, privacy, trust and liability, are outlined. These fears are evident and are addressed in many of the key findings of the Australian Commonwealth Department of Agriculture’s Rural for Profit Research Grant, Accelerating Precision Agriculture to Decision Agriculture: enabling digital agriculture in Australia. To conclude, this paper will examine how best to facilitate the improved data governance framework needed to support and encourage the use and adoption of digital technology and data for the benefit of all agricultural industries.