New research examines how farmers view data sharing in an increasingly digital agricultural sector

As a global leader in agricultural technology, New Zealand has seen significant growth in farm innovation and digital systems. Farmers are increasingly adopting technologies for livestock and pasture management, environmental monitoring and compliance, farm finance and administration and crop and horticultural production.

While these technologies provide valuable insights and efficiencies, they also generate large volumes of data.

Senior Lecturer in Farm Management and Agribusiness Dr Albert Boaitey says this raises important questions about who owns that information, how it is being used, shared, stored and protected, and whether farmers are receiving any value from it.

“International research shows farmers have mixed attitudes towards data sharing, particularly when third parties are involved. Similar concerns are emerging in New Zealand, where the pace of digitalisation is accelerating without a dedicated agricultural data governance framework.

“With more than 500 agritech firms currently operating in New Zealand, it’s more important than ever that we understand how farmers view digital agricultural technologies and the data they generate,” Dr Boaitey explains.

Dr Boaitey is leading the project at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University in collaboration with Dalhousie University in Canada to examine agricultural data governance in New Zealand and explore farmers’ perceptions and experiences of agricultural data practices.

The research aims to provide evidence that can support the development of effective agricultural data governance frameworks and help ensure farmers remain at the centre of New Zealand’s digital agricultural transition.

Dr Boaitey says that farm data should be viewed not simply as an input into digital agricultural systems, but as a valuable asset in its own right.

“New Zealand farmers are generating more data than ever through digital farm technologies, but many still have questions about who owns the data, who can access it and how they can share in the value it creates. Many farmers may be entering agreements with digital service providers without fully understanding what happens to their data after it’s collected. By better understanding farmers’ expectations and experiences, we can help inform future data governance frameworks to reflect farmers’ interests and priorities.

“Addressing these concerns is critical to building farmer trust and ensuring that digital innovation delivers benefits across the agricultural sector,” Dr Boaitey says.

New Zealand farmers are encouraged to participate in the anonymous online survey.

Take the Farm Data and Digital Technologies Survey.

Dr Boaitey’s career has spanned four continents and five countries, with a research focus on how agricultural stakeholders respond to and make decisions about emerging technologies. His research has included examining the economic impacts of distiller grain-based biofuels on the livestock industry in Western Canada, exploring the socioeconomic impacts of genomic selection for novel traits in Canadian beef and dairy herds, and leading research on social sustainability in Wisconsin dairy farming.