Giving Compass' Take:

• Brian King and Andy Jarvis explain why big data is needed to transform the agriculture industry and how the new CGIAR Platform helps to bring the benefits of big data to farmers around the world. 

• What kind of support do rural farmers need? How can philanthropy help farmers build resiliency against the changing climate? 

• Read about the TEEBAgriFood report of the global food system.

Over the past 25 years, the digital revolution has drastically increased the amount of information that people can record, share, and store. For most of that time, the quantity of information produced by digital innovations has outstripped human capacity to organize and analyze all of this data. Recent breakthroughs in data analytics and computer processing now allow scientists to put this data to meaningful use—translating data into conclusions that can guide decision making. Collectively referred to as Big Data, these tools are providing the foundation for the next stage of scientific research in the digital age. The new CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture is putting these tools to work for farmers around the world.

Food Tank had the opportunity to speak with Brian King and Andy Jarvis from the CGIAR Big Data Platform to learn more about their vision for the project.

What is Big Data and why is it important for agriculture?

We think about Big Data in terms of some important digital trends that should be better harnessed for agricultural development, including the mobile revolution and the widespread availability of mobile phones to both collect and send data; rapid improvements in satellite imagery availability and resolution that make it more applicable for agriculture; the spread of cheap sensor technologies that make it possible to develop new business models and approaches to on-farm measurement; and distributed computing and storage that democratizes and expands analytical power like never before.

Big data can unlock novel research methods, new technologies, and vast amounts of insights into modern social and economic life. These tools can reveal and help to build sustainable food systems at a scale and in a way that has not been possible before.

Read the full interview with Brian King and Andy Jarvis about CGIAR Platform by Elliott Brennan at Food Tank.