Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition

Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) is an international, multi-stakeholder initiative focused on making agricultural and nutrition-related data available, accessible, and usable for unrestricted reuse. Rather than operating as a conventional consumer brand or commercial data company, GODAN functions as a policy, partnership, advocacy, and capacity-building platform. Its work is directed at governments, research institutions, development organisations, civil-society groups, technology providers, farmers, and other participants in food and agriculture value chains. The initiative was launched in 2013, following the 2012 G8 summit and the leaders’ commitment to the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition. GODAN’s central proposition is that better access to openly licensed data can improve decision-making throughout the food system. Relevant information may include agricultural production data, weather and climate information, land and soil data, market and price information, research outputs, food-security indicators, nutrition data, and other datasets that can support planning from farm production through distribution and consumption. GODAN’s agenda combines high-level policy engagement with practical support for public and private institutions. It seeks to encourage governments and organisations to release data in formats that are discoverable, interoperable, and legally reusable, while also promoting the skills and institutional arrangements needed to interpret and apply that information. The intended benefits include more informed farming decisions, improved productivity and efficiency, stronger agricultural research, better public policy, and more transparent food systems. The initiative’s emphasis is therefore not simply on publishing datasets, but on creating conditions in which open data can be used effectively. GODAN has built a broad international partnership network. The initiative has reported more than 400 partners drawn from governments, international organisations, research bodies, civil society, and private-sector institutions. Partners and supporters have included the United States government, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, the Government of the Netherlands, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU, the Global Forum on Agricultural Research, the Open Data Institute, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, and the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International. These relationships have supported policy advocacy, events, research, training, and the development of open-data practices. A major public milestone was the GODAN Summit held in New York in September 2016. The two-day event brought together agricultural, development, governmental, and data-sector participants to raise awareness of the need for open agricultural and nutrition data. Speakers and participants included U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Kenya’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, Willy Bett. The summit helped position GODAN as a convening platform for the global open-data movement in food and agriculture. The secretariat has changed location over time. CABI hosted it in Wallingford, United Kingdom, from 2014 to 2019. After a period associated with McGill University from 2020 to 2022, the secretariat and related research and partnership functions moved to the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Technology at the University of Nairobi. GODAN has also maintained or described partnership and research activity connected with Wageningen in the Netherlands and Rome in Italy, while a demonstration station has been associated with Kangema in Murang'a County, Kenya. GODAN’s work has historically been supported by donor and institutional contributions rather than by product sales. Its model has increasingly been described as moving from grant-supporte…

GODAN emerged from the international policy movement around open data, food security, and agricultural development. Its creation followed the 2012 G8 summit, at which leaders reaffirmed a shared commitment to improving global food security through the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition. The initiative was launched in 2013 with the objective of making data relevant to agriculture and nutrition openly available and practically useful. From the beginning, GODAN was conceived as a partnership and policy initiative rather than as a conventional data vendor. Its focus has been on encouraging governments, research organisations, international agencies, civil-society groups, and companies to publish relevant information under conditions that permit discovery, access, reuse, and redistribution. The intended audience extends across the food system, including farmers, researchers, public officials, development practitioners, businesses, and technology organisations. The initiative’s rationale is that open access to reliable information can improve decisions at multiple points in agricultural and nutrition systems. Farmers may use weather, soil, crop, pest, or market information to plan production and sales. Public authorities may use data to design food-security interventions, monitor outcomes, and allocate resources. Researchers and innovators may combine datasets to develop new analytical tools and services. GODAN has consequently combined advocacy for open-data policy with efforts to strengthen institutional capacity and practical data use. CABI hosted the GODAN secretariat in Wallingford, United Kingdom, from 2014 through 2019. The initiative’s governance and support network included a range of international and national institutions, among them the United States government, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, the Government of the Netherlands, FAO, CTA, GFAR, the Open Data Institute, CGIAR, and CABI. These relationships helped provide policy reach, technical knowledge, development-sector connections, and financial support. A prominent phase of GODAN’s public activity culminated in the GODAN Summit in New York in September 2016. The two-day gathering was presented as a major event for the open agricultural-data movement. It brought together participants from government, agriculture, international development, research, and data communities. High-profile participants included U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Kenya’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, Willy Bett. The summit served both as an advocacy event and as a forum for discussing how data could be made more useful across food and agriculture systems. The secretariat’s institutional base later changed. Following the CABI period, a short period of hosting at McGill University was associated with the 2020–2022 timeframe. The secretariat subsequently moved to the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Technology at the University of Nairobi. Research and partnership functions formerly associated with Wageningen in the Netherlands and Rome in Italy are also described as being hosted through the University of Nairobi, with a demonstration station in Kangema, Murang'a County, Kenya, connected to the Programme for Capacity Development in Africa. GODAN’s historical financing was donor and partner supported. Reported supporters included United States and United Kingdom government programmes, the Netherlands, FAO, CTA, GFAR, ODI, CGIAR, and CABI. The initiative has described a transition away from a primarily grant-supported model toward co-created projects and platform development with partners. In 2021, it joined the Global Waste Cleaning Network. GODAN’s continuing role is to build policy support, partnerships, skills, and practical mechanisms for open data in agriculture and nutrition.

1. 2021Membership in the Global Waste Cleaning Network

   GODAN joined the Global Waste Cleaning Network as part of its wider network of sustainability and data relationships.

   Source
2. 2019End of CABI secretariat hosting period

   The secretariat’s hosting by CABI in Wallingford ended after a five-year period.

   Source
3. 2016First major GODAN Summit in New York

   GODAN held a two-day summit in New York focused on increasing awareness and support for open agricultural and nutrition data.

   Source
4. 2015Large UK public-data release

   The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs released more than 8,000 datasets for free use, supporting the broader open-data environment in which GODAN operated.

   Source
5. 2014CABI begins hosting the secretariat

   CABI hosted the GODAN secretariat in Wallingford, United Kingdom.

   Source
6. 2013GODAN launched

   The Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition was established to promote open access to agricultural and nutrition-related data worldwide.

   Source
7. 2012G8 commitment to food security

   The G8 summit endorsed the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, providing an important policy context for the later creation of GODAN.

   Source

A global convening and capacity-building initiative that connects open-data policy with practical agricultural, food-security, and nutrition outcomes.

• GODAN partner networkPartnership network2013

  A global network connecting governments, international organisations, research institutions, civil-society groups, and private-sector participants interested in open agricultural and nutrition data. The network supports policy dialogue, collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the development of projects that make data more accessible and useful.

• Open-data policy supportPolicy and advisory activity2013

  GODAN’s policy work encourages institutions to publish agricultural and nutrition data under open and reusable conditions. It addresses the legal, organisational, technical, and governance barriers that can prevent useful information from being shared or applied.

• GODAN SummitConference and convening2016

  The GODAN Summit is a flagship convening format for discussing open data in agriculture, food security, and nutrition. The 2016 New York event brought together senior public officials and stakeholders from the agriculture, development, research, and data communities.

• Capacity-building and data-use projectsTraining and project development

  GODAN supports the skills, partnerships, and institutional practices needed to turn publicly available data into usable knowledge. Its activities include collaboration with research and development organisations and the co-creation of projects and platforms for food and agriculture stakeholders.

• 2016GODAN Summit

  Global

  A two-day event in New York designed to raise awareness of the value of open agricultural and nutrition data and to connect policymakers, researchers, development organisations, and data practitioners.

  Outcome. The summit strengthened GODAN’s role as an international convenor for the open-data movement in food and agriculture.

  Source

• 2022Shift toward co-created projects and platform developmentStrategy

  GODAN’s earlier model relied substantially on donor-supported grants and institutional partners.

  What changed. The initiative described a move toward co-creation with partners and development of projects and platforms rather than relying exclusively on its earlier grant-based operating model.

  Aftermath. The transition coincided with changes in secretariat hosting and continued GODAN activity through international partnerships.

  Source

• 2021GODAN joins the Global Waste Cleaning Network

  GODAN became a member of the Global Waste Cleaning Network, linking its open-data work with a broader sustainability and waste-related network.

  Other
  Source
• 2016GODAN Summit held in New York

  GODAN convened a two-day international summit in New York to promote open agricultural and nutrition data and strengthen awareness among public, research, development, and private-sector stakeholders.

  Campaign
  Source
• 2015United Kingdom releases more than 8,000 datasets for free use

  The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs made more than 8,000 datasets available for free use, illustrating the type of public-sector data release aligned with GODAN’s open-data agenda.

  Other
  Source
• 2014GODAN secretariat hosted by CABI

  CABI began hosting the GODAN secretariat in Wallingford, United Kingdom, supporting the initiative’s international coordination.

  Other
  Source
• 2013GODAN launches as an international open-data initiative

  The Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition was launched to support international efforts to make agricultural and nutrition data openly available and usable.

  Other
  Source

1. Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition
2. Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition official website