Data Governance — NASA Acres

Why this matters

The usefulness of satellite data is dependent upon the data that are used to develop the methods and validate the results. For NASA Acres to produce the farm-relevant agriculture information that our Collaborators are asking for, farm data are necessary. Farmers have spoken repeatedly about their concerns over sharing data, and we have listened.

To address these concerns, we have a foundational effort on Data Governance which began with discussions with farmers and their representatives within and beyond our NASA Acres Collaborator space, and which has led to the production of:

A NASA Acres-produced statement of Guiding Principles for Agriculture Data Management and Use, which have been developed with and learned from Ag Data Transparent’s Core Principles. ADT’s Core Principles were developed in partnership with multiple farmer, commodity organizations, and agriculture technology providers, and are designed to ensure that farmer data is protected in contracts that are simple and clear for all to read. Our document includes both general guidance for what should be covered in ag data use agreements that relate to the use of farm data together with satellite data, as well as recommendations from the NASA Acres Working Group on Data Governance on how data and results should be managed. Templates and examples of Model Data Use Agreements that correspond with the Guiding Principles as well as the specific NASA Acres Working Group on Data Governance recommendations.

NASA Acres is a Consortium of many people and organizations who each have unique projects, Collaborators, and perspectives. Our hope is that by providing these Guiding Principles and Model Data Use Agreements, we can support our Partners and others in the remote sensing of agriculture space in creating the most value for farmers, in the clearest way possible.